Method for producing biotin

ABSTRACT

A gene construct comprising a biotin gene having the sequence SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3, organisms which comprise this gene construct, the use of these sequences or of the gene construct for preparing biotin, and a process for preparing biotin are described.

This application is a 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP98/04097 published as WO 99/05285 which has an international filing date of Jul. 2, 1998.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gene construct comprising a biotin gene having the sequence SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3, to organisms which comprise this gene construct, to the use of these sequences or of the gene construct for preparing biotin, and to a process for preparing biotin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Biotin (vitamin H) plays an essential role as coenzyme in enzyme-catalyzed carboxylation and decarboxylation reactions. Biotin is thus an essential factor in living cells. Almost all animals and some microorganisms have to take biotin in from the outside because they are unable to synthesize biotin themselves. It is thus an essential vitamin for these organisms. Bacteria, yeasts and plants by contrast are themselves able to synthesize biotin from precursors (Brown et al. Biotechnol. Genet. Eng. Rev. 9, 1991: 295-326, DeMoll, E., Escherichia coli and Salmonella, eds. Neidhardt, F. C. et al. ASM Press, Washington D.C., USA, 1996: 704-708, ISBN 1-55581-084-5).

Biotin synthesis has been investigated in bacterial organisms, specifically in the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus sphaericus (Brown et al. Biotechnol. Genet. Eng. Rev. 9, 1991: 295-326). The first intermediate known to date in E. coli is regarded as being pimelyl-CoA (Pm-CoA), which derives from fatty acid synthesis (DeMoll, E., Escherichia coli and Salmonella, eds. Neidhardt, F. C. et al. ASM Press, Washington D.C., USA, 1996: 704-708, ISBN 1-55581-084-5 1996). The synthetic pathway for this biotin precursor in E. coli is substantially unknown at present (Ifuku 1993, Lemoine 1996). Two genes, bioC and bioH, whose corresponding proteins are responsible for the synthesis of Pm-CoA, have been identified. The enzymatic function of the gene products BioH and BioC is not known at present (Lemoine et al., Mol. Microbio. 19, 1996: 645-647, DeMoll, E., Escherichia coli and Salmonella, eds. Neidhardt, F. C. et al. ASM Press, Washington D.C., USA, 1996: 704-708, ISBN 1-55581-084-5). Pm-CoA is converted into biotin in four further enzymatic steps. Starting from Pm-CoA there is initially condensation with alanine to give 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid (KAPA). The gene product for this conversion is BioF (KAPA synthetase). KAPA is transaminated by BioA (DAPA aminotransferase) with the cosubstrate S-adenosylmethionine to give 7,8-diaminopelargonic acid. The next step results, after an ATP-dependent carboxylation reaction, in dethiobiotin (DTB) and is catalyzed by BioD (dethiobiotin synthase). In the last step, DTB is converted into biotin. This step is catalyzed by BioB (biotin synthase). The genes bioF, bioA, bioD, and bioB coding for the proteins-which have been described are encoded in E. coli on a bidirectional operon. This operon is located between the λ attachment site and the uvrB gene locus at about 17 minutes on the E. coli chromosome (Berlyn et al. 1996: 1715-1902). Two other genes are additionally encoded on this operon, one of which, bioc, has functions which have already been described in the synthesis of Pm-CoA, while it has not yet been possible to assign a function to an open reading frame behind bioA (WO94/8023, Otsuka et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1988: 19577-85). Highly conserved homologs to the E. coli proteins BioF, A, D, B have been found in B. sphaericus, B. subtilis, Syneccocystis sp. (Brown et al. Biotechnol. Genet. Eng. Rev. 9, 1991: 295-326, Bower et al., J. Bacteriol. 175, 1996: 4122-4130, Kaneko et al., DNA Res. 3, 3, 1996: 109-136), archaebacteria such as Methanococcus janaschi, yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Zhang et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 309, 1, 1994: 29-35) or in plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana (Baldet et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. III, Sci. Vie. 319, 2, 1996: 99-106)).

The synthesis of Pm-CoA appears to take place differently in the two Gram-positive microorganisms which have been investigated to date than in E. coli. It has not been possible to find any homologs of bioH and bioC (Brown et al. Biotechnol. Genet. Eng. Rev. 9, 1991: 295-326).

Biotin is an optically active substance with three centers of chirality. It is currently prepared commercially only in a multistage costly chemical synthesis.

As an alternative to this chemical synthesis, many attempts have been made to set up a fermentation process for preparing biotin using microorganisms. It has been possible, by cloning the biotin operon on multi-copy plasmids, to increase biotin synthesis in microorganisms transformed with these genes. A further increase in biotin synthesis has been achieved by deregulation of biotin gene expression via selection of birA mutants (Pai C. H., J. Bacteriol. 112, 1972: 1280-1287). Combining the two approaches, ie. expression of the plasmid-encoded biosynthesis genes in a regulation-deficient strain (EP-B-0 236 429), resulted in a further increase in productivity. In this case, either the biotin operon can remain under the control of its native bidirectional promoter (EP-B-0 236 429), or its genes can be placed under the control of a promoter which can be regulated externally (WO94/8023).

It has not been possible to achieve commercially adequate productivity by previous approaches to the preparation of biotin by fermentation in E. coli. It has emerged that the yield in the preparation of biotin by fermentation is caused by the incomplete conversion of DTB into biotin by the BioB gene product (biotin-synthase). Cells which harbor mutations in the bioB gene are unable to grow on DTB and thus to convert DTB into biotin. The chemical and enzymatic mechanism of the conversion of DTB into biotin is at present only incompletely understood and elucidated.

Intensive genetic investigations to date have been unable to identify further proteins involved in the reaction. Characterization of the conversion of DTB into biotin has hitherto been carried out only in bacterial and plant cell extracts (WO94/8023, EP-B-0 449 724, Sanyal et al. Arch. Biochem. Biophys., Vol. 326, No. 1, 1996: 48-56 and Biochemistry 33, 1994: 3625-3631, Baldet et al. Europ. J. Biochem. 217, 1, 1993: 479-485, Méjean et al. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 217, No. 3, 1995: 1231-1237, Ohshiro et al., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 58, 9, 1994: 1738-1741).

These investigations have shown that low molecular weight factors such as S-adenosylmethionine, NADPH, cysteine, thiamine, Fe²⁺, asparagine, serine, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate stimulate the synthesis of biotin (Ohshiro et al., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 58, 9, 1994: 1738-1741, Birch et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 32, 1995: 19158-19165, Ifuk et al., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 59, 2, 1995: 185-189). Besides these low molecular weight factors, other proteins which stimulate the synthesis of biotin from DTB in the presence of BioB have been identified. These are flavodoxin and flavodoxin-NADPH reductase (Birch et al., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 32, 1995: 19158-19165, Ifuku et al., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem., 59, 2, 1995: 185-189, Sanyal et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 326, 1, 1996: 48-56).

The biotin synthesis and lipoic acid synthesis exhibit great homology. In both synthetic pathways there is insertion of a sulfur, or two sulfur atoms, between non-activated carbon atoms in the last stage of the synthesis. The synthesis of lipoic acid is at present only inadequately characterized (DeMoll, E., Escherichia coli and Salmonella, eds. Neidhardt, F. C. et al. ASM Press, Washington D.C., USA, 1996: 704-708, ISBN 1-55581-084-5). To date, only two necessary genes have been identified in E.coli: lipA and lipB. Both genes are located in an operon, with an as yet uncharacterized open reading frame (=ORF) between the two genes. Another gene lplA is able to transfer lipoic acid via a lipoyl-AMP intermediate to lysine. This reaction is thus similar to the activity of birA. Homologous regions in the amino acid sequence have been identified by sequence comparisons between LipA and BioB. These include, inter alia, a cysteine cluster. It has been shown that LipA catalyzes the incorporation of two sulfur atoms into the lipoic acid (DeMoll, E., Escherichia coli and Salmonella, eds. Neidhardt, F. C. et al. ASM Press, Washington D.C., USA, 1996: 704-708, ISBN 1-55581-084-5).

The results concerning the origin of the sulfur in the biotin molecule are contradictory. Investigations on biotin synthesis in whole cell extracts showed that radioactivity was incorporated into biotin in the presence of ³⁵S-labeled cysteine; sulfur incorporation into the biotin molecule was undetectable either with ³⁵S-labeled methionine or with S-adenosylmethionine (Ifuku et al., Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 59, 2, 1995: 184-189, Birch et al., J. Biol. Chem.270, 32, 1995: 19158-19165).

This contrasts with investigations on purified BioB protein in the presence of ³⁵S-labeled cysteine and without addition of cell extracts, in which case although biotin synthesis was observed there was no incorporation of radioactivity into the biotin molecule (Sanyal et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 326, 1, 1996: 48-56, Méjean et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2127, 3, 1995: 1231-1237). Under these synthesis conditions, without addition of cell extract, the amount of biotin formed was small and corresponded to a maximum of about 2 mol of biotin/mol of BioB (Sanyal et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 326, 1, 1996: 48-56) or 0.1 mol of biotin/mol of BioB (Méjean et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2127, 3, 1995: 1231-1237). According to these investigations, sulfur can be incorporated into biotin without using cysteine as sulfur donor. This biotin formation without an external source of sulfur might be explained by a transfer of sulfur from the 2Fe-2S cluster which has been detected in BioB. The actual source of sulfur for biotin synthesis is still unclear. It has thus not yet been possible to demonstrate a genuine catalytic activity of BioB in vitro.

Despite this large number of approaches, the yield of biotin from microbial fermentation is currently insufficient for industrial production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial depiction of the construct pHS1 bioS1. (SEQ ID No. 5)

FIG. 2 is a pictorial depiction of the construct pHS2 bioS1. (SEQ ID No. 9)

FIG. 3 is a pictorial depiction of the construct pHS2 bioS2. (SEQ ID No. 11)

FIG. 4 is a pictorial depiction of the construct pHS1 bioS2. (SEQ ID No. 7)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to develop an industrial process for preparing biotin by fermentation which optimizes as far as possible the conversion of dethiobiotin into biotin, and thus makes improved biotin synthesis possible.

We have found that this object is achieved by the novel process for preparing biotin which comprises expressing a biotin gene having the sequence SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3, and its functional variants, analogs or derivatives, in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host organism able to synthesize biotin, cultivating this organism and using the synthesized biotin directly, after removal of the biomass or after purification of the biotin.

The biotin genes used in the novel process and having the sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and SEQ ID No. 3, respectively, are kept in the SwissProt databank under accession numbers AE000364 and D90811. The sequence D90811 has additionally been described by Aiba et al. in DNA Res. 3, 6, 1996: 363-377. Homology with the NifS protein has been noted for both sequences in the databank. Further information on these sequences is not available from the databank or the publication.

The productivity of biotin synthesis can be markedly increased by expressing the sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3 in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host organism. Expression of the genes increases the synthesis of biotin from dethiobiotin by a factor of at least 2 by comparison with the control without these genes, preferably by a factor of more than 3. The sequence SEQ ID No. 1 is preferably used.

After isolation and sequencing it is possible to obtain the biotin genes which are used in the novel process, have the nucleotide sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and SEQ ID No. 3, and code for the amino acid sequences indicated in SEQ ID No: 2 and SEQ ID No. 4, or their allelic variants. Allelic, variants mean variants of SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3 displaying from 40 to 100% homology at the amino acid level, preferably from 50 to 100%, very particularly preferably from 80 to 100%. Allelic variants comprise, in particular, functional variants obtainable by deletion, insertion or substitution of nucleotides from the sequence depicted in SEQ ID No: 1 or SEQ ID No: 3, where the enzymatic activity is, however, retained.

Analogs of SEQ ID No: 1 or SEQ ID No: 3 mean, for example, their bacterial, fungal, plant or yeast homologs, truncated sequences, single-stranded DNA or RNA of the coding and noncoding DNA sequence.

Derivatives mean, for example, promoter variants. The promoters which precede the stated nucleotide sequences can be altered by one or more nucleotide exchanges, by insertion(s) and/or deletion(s) without, however, adversely affecting the functionality or activity of the promoters. The promoters can furthermore have their activity increased by altering their sequence, or be replaced completely by more effective promoters, even from heterologous organisms.

Derivatives also mean variants whose nucleotide sequence has been altered in the region from −1 to −30 in front of the start codon in such a way that gene expression and/or protein expression is increased. This is advantageously effected by altering the Shine-Dalgarno sequence.

Suitable prokaryotic host organisms in the novel process are, in principle, all biotin-synthesized Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria. Examples which may be mentioned of Gram-negative bacteria are Enterobacteriaceae such as the genera Escherichia, Aerobacter, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Shigella, Klebsiella, Serratia, Erwinia or Salmonella, Pseudomonadaceae such as the genera Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, Burkholderia, Gluconobacter, Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, Methanomonas, Comamonas, Cellulomonas or Acetobacter, Azotobacteraceae such as the genera Azotobacter, Azomonas, Beijerinckia or Derxia, Neisseriaceae such as the genera Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Kingella, Neisseria or Branhamella, the Rhizobiaceae such as the genera Rhizobium or Agrobacterium or the Gram-negative genera Zymomonas, Chromobacterium or Flavobacterium. Examples of Gram-positive bacteria which may be mentioned are the endospore-forming Gram-positive aerobic or anaerobic bacteria such as the genera Bacillus, Sporolactobacillus or Clostridium, the coryneform bacteria such as the genera Arthrobacter, Cellulomonas, Curtobacterium, Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium, Microbacterium or Kurthia, the Actinomycetales such as the genera Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces or Nocardia, the Lactobacillaceae such as the genera Lactobacillus or Lactococcus, the Gram-positive cocci such as the genera Micrococcus or Staphylococcus.

Bacteria preferably used in the novel process are of the genera Escherichia, Citrobacter, Serratia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Comamonas, Acinetobacter, Azotobacter, Chromobacterium, Bacillus, Clostridium, Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptomyces, Rhizobium, Agrobacterium or Staphylococcus. Particularly preferred genera and species are Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas mendocina, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas mutabilis, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Comamonas acidovorans, Comamonas testosteroni, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Azotobacter vinelandii, Chromobacterium violaceum, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Arthrobacter citreus, Arthrobacter paraffineus, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Corynebacterium primorioxydans, Corynebacterium sp., Brevibacterium ketoglutamicum, Brevibacterium linens, Brevibacterium sp., Streptomyces lividans, Rhizobium leguminosarum or Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Bacteria which already have increased natural biotin production are advantageously used.

The taxonomic positioning of the stated genera has been subject to great change in recent years and is still in a state of flux because incorrect genus and species names are being corrected. This frequent need in the past for taxonomic regrouping of said genera within the classification of bacteria means that families, genera and species other than those mentioned above are also suitable for the novel process.

Suitable eukaryotic host organisms for the novel process are, in principle, all biotin-synthesizing organisms such as fungi, yeasts, plants or plant cells. Yeasts which may be mentioned as preferred are the genera Rhodotorula, Yarrowia, Sporobolomyces, Saccharomyces or Schizosaccharomyces. Particularly preferred genera and species are Rhodotorula rubra, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodotorula graminis, Yarrowia lipolytica, Sporobolomyces salmonicolor, Sporobolomyces shibatanus or Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

It is possible in principle to use all plants as host organism, and preferred plants are those important in livestock feeding or human nutrition, such as corn, wheat, barley, rye, potatoes, peas, beans, sunflowers, palms, millet, sesame, copra or oilseed rape. Plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana or Lavendula vera are also suitable. Plant cell cultures, protoplasts from plants or callus cultures are particularly preferred.

It is advantageous to use in the novel process microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts or plant cells which are able to secrete biotin into the culture medium and which, where appropriate, additionally have increased natural biotin synthesis. It is also possible and advantageous for these organisms to be defective in respect of the regulation of their biotin biosynthesis, ie. there is no, or only very diminished, regulation of the synthesis. This regulation defect results in these organisms having a considerably higher biotin productivity. A regulation defect of this type is known, for example, for Escherichia coli as the birA defective mutant and ought preferably to be present in the cells in the form of a defect which can be inducted by external influences, for example is temperature-inducible. Organisms which do not naturally produce biotin can also be used in principle after they have been transformed with the biotin genes.

In order to increase the overall biotin productivity further, the organisms in the novel process advantageously ought additionally to comprise at least one other biotin gene selected from the group of bioA, bioB, bioF, bioC, bioD, bioH, biop, biow, bioX, bioy or bioR. This additional gene or these additional genes may be present in one or more copies in the cell. They may be located on the same vector as the sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3, or have been integrated on separate vectors or else into the chromosome. The sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3 can also be inserted into the genome.

The novel gene construct means the biotin gene sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and SEQ ID No. 3 and their functional variants, analogs or derivatives, which are functionally linked to one or more regulatory signals to increase gene expression. In addition to these novel regulatory sequences, the natural regulation of these sequences in front of the actual structural genes may still be present and, where appropriate, have been genetically modified so that the natural regulation has been switched off and the expression of the genes has been increased. However, the gene construct may also have a simpler structure, ie. no additional regulatory signals have been inserted in front of the sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3, and the natural promoter with its regulation has not been deleted. Instead, the natural regulatory sequences have been mutated in such a way that there is no longer any regulation by biotin, and gene expression is increased. It is also possible to insert additional, advantageous regulatory elements at the 3′ end of the DNA sequences. The biotin genes having sequences SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3 may be present in one or more copies in the gene construct.

Advantageous regulatory sequences for the novel process are, for example, present in promoters such as cos, tac, trp, tet, trp-tet, lpp, lac, lpp-lac, lacI^(q−), T7, T5, T3, gal, trc, ara, SP6, λ-P_(R) or the λ-P_(L) promoter, which are advantageously used in Gram-negative bacteria. Further advantageous regulatory sequences are, for example, present in the Gram-positive promoters amy and SPO2, in the yeast promoters ADC1, MFα, AC, P-60, CYC1, GAPDH or in the plant promoters CaMV/35S, SSU, OCS, lib4, usp, STLS1, B33, nos or in the ubiquitin or phaseolin promoter.

It is possible in principle for all natural promoters with their regulatory sequences like those mentioned above to be used for the novel process. It is furthermore possible and advantageous to use synthetic promoters.

The gene construct may comprise further biotin genes selected from the group of bioA, bioB, bioF, bioC, bioD, bioH, biop, biow, bioX, bioy or bioR in one or more copies, each of which may have its own promoter or else may be under the control of the promoter of sequences SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3.

The gene construct is, for expression in the abovementioned host organism, advantageously inserted into a host-specific vector which makes optimal expression of the genes in the host possible. Examples of suitable vectors in E. coli are pLG338, pACYC184, pBR322, pUC18, pUC19, pKC30, pRep4, pHS1, pHS2, pPLc236, pMBL24, pLG200, pUR290, pIN-III¹¹³-B1, λgt11 or pBdCI, in Streptomyces are pIJ101, pIJ364, pIJ702 or pIJ361, in Bacillus are pUB110, pC194 or pBD214, in Corynebacterium are pSA77 or pAJ667, in fungi are PALS1, pIL2 or pBB116, in yeasts are YEp6, YEpl3 or pEMBLYe23 or in plants are pLGV23, pGHlac⁺, pBIN19, pAK2004 or pDH51. Said vectors represent a small selection from the possible vectors. Further vectors are well-known to the skilled worker and can be found, for example, in the book Cloning Vectors (Eds. Pouwels P. H. et al. Elsevier, Amsterdam-New York-Oxford, 1985 , ISBN 0 444 904018).

Expression systems mean the combination of the host organisms mentioned above by way of example and the vectors suiting the organisms, such as plasmids, viruses or phages, such as the T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system or vectors with regulatory sequences for phage λ.

The term expression systems preferably means the combination of Escherichia coli and its plasmids and phages and the relevant promoters, and Bacillus and its plasmids and promoters.

Also suitable for advantageous novel expression of SEQ ID No. 1 and SEQ ID No. 3 are other 3′ and/or 5′ terminal regulatory sequences.

These regulatory sequences are intended to make specific expression of the biotin genes and protein expression possible.

This may mean, for example, depending on the host organism that the gene is expressed or overexpressed only after induction, or that it is immediately expressed and/or overexpressed.

The regulatory sequences and factors may moreover preferably have a beneficial effect on, and thus increase, biotin gene expression. Thus, it is possible and advantageous to enhance the regulatory elements at the level of transcription by using strong transcription signals such as promoters and/or “enhancers”. However, it is also possible besides this to enhance translation by, for example, improving the stability of the mRNA.

“Enhancers” mean, for example, DNA sequences which bring about, is via an improved interaction between RNA polymerase and DNA, an increase in biotin gene expression.

An accentuation of the proteins derived from sequences SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3 and their enzyme activity can be achieved, for example by comparison with the initial enzymes, by modifying the corresponding gene sequences or the sequences of its homologs by classical mutagenesis such as UV irradiation or treatment with chemical mutagens and/or by specific mutagenesis such as site-directed mutagenesis, deletion(s), insertion(s) and/or substitution(s). Increased enzyme activity can also be achieved, besides the gene amplification described, by eliminating factors which repress enzyme biosynthesis and/or by synthesizing active, not inactive, enzymes.

The novel process advantageously increases the conversion of DTB into biotin and thus the biotin productivity overall via the biotin genes having the sequences SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 3 which have been cloned into the organisms via vectors and/or into the chromosome.

In the novel process, the microorganisms comprising SEQ ID No. 1 and/or SEQ ID No. 3 are cultured in a medium which allows these organisms to grow. This medium may be a synthetic or a natural medium. Media known to the skilled worker and depending on the organism are used. The media used for growing the microorganisms comprise a source of carbon, a source of nitrogen, inorganic salts and, where appropriate, small amounts of vitamins and trace elements.

Examples of advantageous sources of carbon are sugars such as mono-, di- or polysaccharides such as glucose, fructose, mannose, xylose, galactose, ribose, sorbose, ribulose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, raffinose, starch or cellulose, complex sources of sugars, such as molasses, sugar phosphates such as fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, sugar alcohols such as mannitol, polyols such as glycerol, alcohols such as methanol or ethanol, carboxylic acids such as citric acid, lactic acid or acetic acid, fats such as soybean oil or rapeseed oil, amino acids such as glutamic acid or aspartic acid, or amino sugars, which can also be used as source of nitrogen.

Advantageous sources of nitrogen are organic or inorganic nitrogen compounds or materials which contain these compounds. Examples are ammonium salts such as NH₄Cl or (NH₄)₂SO₄, nitrates, urea or complex sources of nitrogen, such as corn steep liquor, brewer's yeast autolysate, soybean flour, wheat gluten, yeast extract, meat extract, casein hydrolysate, yeast or potato protein, which may often also serve as source of nitrogen.

Examples of inorganic salts are the salts of calcium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, potassium, zinc, copper and iron. The anion in these salts which should be particularly mentioned is the chloride, sulfate and phosphate ion. An important factor in enhancing the productivity in the novel process is the addition of Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ salts and/or potassium salts to the production medium.

Other growth factors are added to the nutrient medium where appropriate, such as vitamins or growth promoters such as riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenate or pyridoxine, amino acids such as alanine, cysteine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamine, serine, methionine or lysine, carboxylic acids such as citric acid, formic acid, pimelic acid or lactic acid, or substances such as dithiothreitol.

It is possible, where appropriate, to add antibiotics to the medium to stabilize the vectors with the biotin genes in the cells.

The mixing ratio of said nutrients depends on the mode of fermentation and is established in the individual case. It is possible for the medium components all to be present at the start of the fermentation after they have been, if necessary, sterilized separately or sterilized together, or else to be added during the fermentation as required.

The cultivation conditions are established so that the organisms grow optimally and so that the best possible yields are obtained. Preferred cultivation temperatures are from 15° C. to 40° C.

Temperatures from 25° C. to 37° C. are particularly advantageous. The pH is preferably kept in a range from 3 to 9. The pH is particularly advantageously from 5 to 8. An incubation time of from 8 to 240 hours, preferably from 8 to 120 hours, is generally sufficient. During this time, the maximum amount of biotin accumulates in the medium and/or is available after disruption of the cells.

The novel process for preparing biotin can be carried out continuously or batchwise. If whole plants are regenerated from the plant cells transformed with the biotin genes, these plants can be grown and propagated quite normally in accordance with the novel process.

EXAMPLE

Based on the consideration that the conversion of DTB into biotin might involve, apart from BioB and the other known cofactors, possibly an Fe-S cluster-regenerating enzyme, an attempt was made to identify and clone such a hypothetical gene.

NifS genes are able to regenerate sulfur atoms in an Fe-S cluster of proteins involved in nitrogen fixation (Zheng et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 1993: 2754-2758 and Biochemistry 33, 1994: 4714-4720). It was possible by comparing all known proteins of the NifS class in the Swiss-Prot and PIR databanks using the Lasergene program package (DNA-Star Inc.) in the megalign mode to identify a strictly conserved region of these proteins having the amino acid sequence HK(I,L)xGPxG (x corresponds to amino acids whose conservation is low or not retained). The fact that there is complete conservation of this sequence indicates that these amino acids (=Aa) are important in the functioning of these proteins. These conserved amino acids are referred to as motif I hereinafter.

The Aa motif described in this way was used as comparison sequence for further analysis of the Swiss-Prot/PIR release 93 or 94 databank to search for proteins or ORFs (=open reading frames) in which this NifS functional sequence is completely conserved. The program employed for the sequence analysis was the Geneman program from the DNA-Star package. The analysis parameters were fixed as follows: consensus sequence menu with 80% conservation of the motif.

This search resulted in the finding that, besides proteins which have already been identified as NifS-homologous proteins, there are other proteins or ORFs which have this sequence motif. Among the other sequences present in the databank, it was possible to identify an open reading frame from E. coli which has significant conservation of the consensus sequence and is, as our studies have shown, involved in biotin synthesis. This open reading frame, which is referred to as ECU29581_(—)24 (=SEQ ID No. 1=ORF401), codes for a hypothetical protein of 401 Aa which is derived from this sequence. It emerged that this sequence had been sequenced as part of the E. coli genome sequencing by F. Blattner and co-workers (DNA-Research 1996), without its function having been recognized. This sequence (SEQ ID No. 1) is referred to as BioS1 hereinafter.

Comparison of the protein sequence of BioS1 with that of NifS from A. vinelandii (program: DNA-Star “megalign” in mode: pairwise Lipman-Pearson alignment, analysis parameters: k-tuple 2, gap penalty 4, gap length penalty 12) shows that ECU29581_(—)24 also has a homology of 27.6% with NifS from A. vinelandii in other regions of the sequence over a range of 218 Aa. The homology with the protein identified as NifS from Rhodococcus capsulatus is 25.3% over a range of 376 Aa.

It was possible to identify further sequences having homologies with ECU29581_(—)24 in the SwissProt/PIR databank (Geneman program/sequence similarity mode; default settings). The greatest similarity found to the ECU29581_(—)24 sequence is shown by a translated ORF (=open reading frame) from H. influenzae (databank name HIU00082_(—)62). A sequence homology of 45.5% was found for BioS1 and HIU00082_(—)62 over the entire length of the two proteins. The sequence similarity or the homology of the two proteins is thus significantly greater than between ECU29581_(—)24 (=BioS1) and NifS from R. capsulatus or A. vinelandii. The protein is thus presumably the H. influenzae homolog to BioS1.

Fleischmann et al. (Science. 269, 1995: 496-512) found not only ORF HIU00082_(—)62 but also another ORF (HIU00072_(—)10) in H. influenzae on the basis of its similarity to the NifS sequence.

It was concluded on the basis of this description by Fleischmann et al. that another NifS-like gene, besides bioS1, also exists in E. coli. This hypothetical gene has been called bioS2.

1. Construction of the Vectors pHS1 and pHS2:

The plasmids pHS1 and pHS2 consist of various cassettes which carry an origin of replication, a resistance cassette, a promoter, a cloning site and terminators. The plasmids were assembled from various DNA fragments. The DNA fragments necessary for this were prepared by PCRs with various plasmids as templates.

a.) Preparation of the Cassette with an Origin of Replication:

In order to provide the origin of replication from a P15A replicon-containing plasmid as clonable cassette, a DNA fragment with a length of 919 bases was isolated from the plasmid by a PCR with the plasmid pRep4 (Quiagen) with the oligonucleotides P15A,1 (5′-GGCCCCTAGGGGATATATTCCGCTTCCTCGC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:13) and P15A,2 (5′-GGCCACTAGTAACAACTTATATCGTATGGGG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:14). The fragment was cut with the restriction enzymes AvrII and SpeI in a suitable buffer.

PCR Conditions:

2.5 U of Taq polymerase and 15 pmol of the oligonucleotides were used in 100 μl of solution to isolate the replication cassette from the plasmid pRep4. The oligonucleotides were annealed at 50° C. Elongation took place at 72° C. for 1 min over 30 cycles.

b.) Preparation of the Kanamycin Resistance Cassette:

In order to provide a kanamycin-resistance cassette as clonable cassette, a DNA fragment with a length of 952 bases was isolated by a PCR from a plasmid containing the kanamycin-resistance cassette (pRep4, Quiagen) with the oligonucleotides Kan-R,1 (5′-GGCCGAGCTCTCGAACCCCAGAGTCCCGCT-3′) (SEQ ID NO:15) and Kan-R,2 (5′-GGCCGACGTCGGAATTGCCAGCTGGGGCGC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:16). The fragment was cut with AatII and SacI in a suitable buffer.

PCR Conditions:

2.5 U of Taq polymerase and 15 pmol of the oligonucleotides were used in 100 μl of solution to isolate the kanamycin resistance cassette from the plasmid pRep4. The oligonucleotides were annealed at 50° C. Elongation took place at 72° C. for 1 min over 30 cycles.

c.) Preparation of the Termination Regions:

In order to provide the terminator T0 from phage lambda as clonable cassette, a DNA fragment with a length of 120 bases was isolated by a PCR with the plasmid pDS12-luzi (Schroder H. et al., EMBO Journal. 12, 11, 1993: 4137-4144) as template with the oligonucleotides T0,1 (5′-GGCCGAGCTCGCTTGGACTCCTGTTGATAG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:17) and T0,2 (5′-GGCCACTAGTGCTTGGATTCTCACCAATAAAAAACGCCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:18). The fragment was cut by the enzymes SpeI and SacI in a suitable buffer.

Template for T0: pDS12-luzi

2.5 U of Taq polymerase and 15 pmol of the oligonucleotides were used in 100 μl of solution to isolate the termination region from the plasmid pDS12-luzi. The oligonucleotides were annealed at 50° C. Elongation took place at 72° C. for 0.5 min over 30 cycles. Then a fragment 120 bp in size was isolated and purified. This fragment was digested with 20 U each of SpeI and SacI.

In order to provide the terminator T1 from the rrnB operon as clonable cassette, a DNA fragment with a length of 120 bp was isolated by a PCR with the plasmid pDS12-luzi (Schroder et al., see above) as template and with the aid of the oligonucleotides T1,1 (5′-GGCCCCTAGGTCTAGGGCGGCGGATTTGTCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:19) and T1,2 (5′-GGCCTCTAGAGGCATCAAATAAAACGAAAGGC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:20). The fragment was cut by the enzymes XbaI and AvrII in a suitable buffer.

Template for T1: pDS12-luzi

2.5 U of Taq polymerase and 15 pmol of the oligonucleotides were used in 100 μl of solution to isolate the termination region from the plasmid pDS12-luzi. The oligonucleotides were annealed at 50° C. Elongation took place at 72° C. for 0.5 min over 30 cycles. Then a fragment 120 bp in size was isolated and purified. This fragment was digested with 20 U each of XbaI and AvrII.

d.) Preparation of the Promoters for pHS1 and pHS2:

The oligonucleotides PPHS1,1 (5′-TCGAGATAGCATTTTTATCCATAAGATTAGCCGATCCTAAGGTTTACAATTGTGAGCGCTC CAATTATGATAGATTCAATTGTGAGCGGATAACAATTTCACACACGCTAGCGGTAC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:21) and PPHS1,2 (5′-CGCTAGCGTGTGTGAAATTGTTATCCGCTCACAATTGAATCTATCATAATTGTGAGCGCTC ACAATTGTAAACCTTAGGATCGGCTAATCTTATGGATAAAAATGCTATC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:22) and PPHS2,1 (5′-AATTCTCCCTATCAGTGATAGAGATTGACATCCCTATCAGTGATAGAGATACTGAGACATC ACCAGGACGCACTGACCG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:23) and PPHS2,2 (5′-AATTCGGTCAGTGCGTCCTGGTGATGTCTCAGTATCTCTATCACTGATAGGGATGTCAATC TCTATCACTGATAGGGAGG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:24) were prepared by chemical synthesis. The oligonucleotides PPHS1,1 and PPHS1,2 and PPHS2,1 and PPHS2,2, were respectively mixed in a concentration of 1 μg/μl, incubated at 95° C. for 5 min and then cooled slowly. The annealed oligonucleotides were employed in a concentration of 10 ng/μl in the ligation. Oligonucleotides PPHS1,1 and PPHS1,2 formed the promoter for the plasmid pHS1, and oligonucleotides PPHS2,1 and PPHS2,2 formed that for the plasmid pHS2.

e.) Preparation of the Cloning Site:

To construct the cloning site, the two oligonucleotides PMCS1,1 (5′-GTACCGGGCCCCCCCTCGAGGTCGACGGTATCGATAAGCTTGATATCGAATTCCTGCAGCC CGGGGGATCCCATGGTA-3′) (SEQ ID NO:25) and PMCS1,2 (5′-ACGCGTACCATGGGATCCCCCGGGCTGCAGGAATTCGATATCAAGCTTATCGATACCGTCG ACCTCGAGGGGGGGCCCGGTACC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:26) were synthesized. The two oligonucleotides were mixed in a concentration of 1 μg/μl, incubated at 95° C. for 5 min and then cooled slowly. The annealed oligonucleotides were employed in a concentration of 10 ng/μl in the ligation.

f.) Procedure for Cloning pHS1 and pHS2

Starting from pDS12 luci, the ampR cassette of the plasmid was cut out by SacI/AatII digestion and replaced by a corresponding SacI/AatII fragment which contains the kanamycin resistance cassette. The vector obtained after transformation and isolation of positive clones underwent SpeI/SacI digestion, and the PCR-amplified terminator T0 was inserted as SpeI/SacI fragment downstream of the kanamycin resistance cassette. The vector obtained after transformation and isolation of positive clones was digested with XbaI/AvrII, and the PCR-amplified terminator T1 was inserted as xbaI/AvrII fragment. The resulting vector was digested with XhoI/EcoRI and ligated to the respectively annealed promoter oligonucleotides (PPHS1,1 and PPHS1,2, and PPHS2,1 and PPHS2,2). The resulting vector underwent XbaI digestion and was filled in using the Klenow fragment and then, after KpnI digestion, the vector band without the luziferase fragment was isolated. Two further annealed oligonucleotides (PMCS1,1 PMCS1,2) which contain the cloning site were ligated to the vectors digested in this way.

2. Cloning of bioS1 (ECU29581_(—)24, SEQ ID No. 1):

The gene which codes for BioS1 was amplified from the chromosome of E. coli by a PCR, provided with optimized translation signals, and cloned into a vector which makes overexpression of the gene in E. coli strains possible.

a.) Development of Oligonucleotides for Amplifying the bioS1 Gene from the E. coli Chromosome:

BioS1 is to be amplified as expression cassette consisting of a ribosome binding site, the start codon of the coding sequence and the stop codon between two recognition sites for restriction enzymes. The MluI recognition sequence was chosen for both restriction cleavage sites. The bioS1 gene was cloned with the aid of the oligonucleotides PbioS1,1 (5, -CGCACGCGTGAGGAGTACCATGAACGT-3′) (SEQ ID NO:27) and PbioS1,2 (5′-CGCACGCGTTTAATCCACCAATAATT-3′) (SEQ ID NO:28).

PCR Procedure:

Conditions:

0,5 μg of chromosomal DNA from E. coli W3110 was used as template. The oligonucleotides PbioS1,1 and PbioS1,2 were each employed in a concentration of 15 pM. The concentration of dNTPs was 200 μM. 2.5 U of Pwo DNA polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim) in the manufacturer's reaction buffer were used as polymerase. The volume for the PCR was 100 μl.

Amplification Conditions:

The DNA was denatured at 94° C. for 2 min. The oligonucleotides were then annealed at 55° C. for 30 sec. Elongation took place at 72° C. for 45 sec. The PCR was carried over 30 cycles.

The resulting DNA product with a size of 1200 bp was purified and digested by MluI in a suitable buffer.

5 μg of the vector pHS1 were digested by MluI and dephosphorylated by shrimp alkaline phosphatase (SAP) (Boehringer Mannheim). After denaturation of the SAP, the vector and fragment were ligated in a molar ratio of 1:3 by the rapid DNA ligation kit in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The ligation mixture was transformed into the strain E. coli XL1-blue. Positive clones were identified by plasmid preparation and restriction analysis. The correct orientation of the bioS1 fragment in pHS1 was determined by restriction digestion and sequencing. The resulting construct was called pHS1 bioS1 (FIG. 1). The sequence of pHS1 bioS1 is to be found in SEQ ID No. 5. The derived amino acid sequence of bioS1 in the vector is to be found in SEQ ID No. 6. 2 μg of the vector pHS1 bioS1 were digested with MluI, and the gene bioS1 was isolated by an agarose gel. The vector pHS2 was digested with MluI, dephosphorylated with SAP and attached to the fragment bioS1 in a joint ligation. The ligation mixture was transformed into XL1-blue, and positive clones in the correct orientation were identified by plasmid isolation and restriction digestion. The resulting vector was called pHS2 bioS1 (FIG. 2). The sequence of pHS2 bioS1 is to be found in SEQ ID No. 9. The derived amino acid sequence of bioS1 in the vector is to be found in SEQ ID No. 10.

3. Cloning of bioS2 (SEQ ID No. 3):

The way of cloning into E. coli further genes which code for gene products which are involved in the assembly of Fe-S clusters was as follows:

A sequence comparison (Megalign program, Clustal mode) of Aa sequences of proteins in the SwissProt/PIR databank with high homology (>40%) with the NifS protein from A. vinelandii showed that, besides the sequence motif I which has been described above, the N terminus of these proteins also shows significant conservation. The Aa sequence MIYLDNXATT (SEQ ID NO:29) was identified as a typical N-terminal conserved sequence of proteins of the NifS family and was called motif II a.

Analysis of the SwissProt/PIR databank for more than 80% conservation of this sequence showed another protein in E. coli. 11 Aa in the N-terminal sequence of this protein are known from Edman degradation (databank name: UP06_(—) Ecoli). This protein was regarded as hypothetical NifS homolog and is referred to as BioS2, in analogy to BioS1, hereinafter.

The way of cloning and sequencing the gene for the protein BioS2 was as follows. Starting from the protein sequence HIU00072_(—)10, on the one hand the conserved amino acid motif I, and on the other hand the abovementioned Aa sequence of UP06_(—) Ecoli, were used to prepare degenerate oligonucleotides which are able to amplify a fragment of the bioS2 gene. For this purpose, the two Aa motifs HIU00072_(—)10 (motif I) and UP06_(—) Ecoli (motif II b, MKLPIYLDYSAT (SEQ ID NO:30)) were reverse translated into the corresponding DNA sequences. In this way, the degenerate oligonucleotide PbioS2,1 (5′-ATGAARYTNCCNATHTAYYTNGAYTAYWSNGCNAC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:31) was synthesized from motif II, and the degenerate oligonucleotide PbioS2,2 (5′-cccaghggrccrtgcagyttrtgrccrga-3′) (SEQ ID NO:32) was synthesized from motif I.

PCR Procedure:

Chromosomal DNA from E. coli W3110 was used as template. 0.5 μg each of the oligonucleotides PbioS2,1 and PbioS2,2 were reacted in each case with 15 pmol of nucleotide mix, 2.5 U of Pwo DNA polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim) in the manufacturer's reaction buffer. The volume for the PCR was 100 μl.

Amplification Conditions:

Denaturation took place at 94° C. for 2 min. Annealing of the oligonucleotides was carried out at 45° C., and elongation was carried out at 72° C. for 45 sec. The PCR was carried out over 30 cycles. It was possible by the PCR to amplify three fragments selectively, and one of them had the size of 600 bp expected from the sequence comparisons. This DNA fragment was isolated by agarose gel purification and sequenced with the oligonucleotide PbioS2,2. The resulting DNA sequence was translated in all six possible reading frames. The resulting translated Aa sequences were then compared with the translated Aa sequence of HIU00072_(—)10 and NifS from A. vinelandii. One of the translated reading frames shows high homology with the Aa sequence of the described ORF HIU00072_(—)10 an d is called bioS2.

The way of determining and cloning the complete DNA sequence of bioS2 (=SEQ ID No. 3) was as follows:

Firstly, a labeled DNA probe homologous with bioS2 was prepared. This took place using the PCR-DIG labeling kit (Boehringer Mannheim). The template used for preparing the DIG-DNA probe was the described PCR product which was prepared by the oligonucleotides PbioS2,1 and PbioS2,2.

The PCR Conditions Were:

Used: 1 μl of the PCR template, 5 μl of nucleotide DIG-dUTP mix, 15 pmol each of oligonucleotide PbioS2,1 and PbioS2,2, buffer from the kit with 1.75 MM MgCl₂, 0.75 μl of expand polymerase mix (Boehringer Mannheim).

Amplification Conditions:

Melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 2 min, melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 10 sec, annealing at 45° C. for 30 sec, elongation at 68° C. for 3.30 min over 10 cycles, melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 10 sec, annealing at 45° C. for 30 sec, elongation at 68° C. for 3.30 min, extension of the elongation for 20 sec per cycle over 20 cycles. Purification of the DIG-labeled fragment by PCR purification kit.

4. Southern Analysis of bioS2 with Chromosomal DNA

In further steps, genomic DNA was digested by restriction enzymes and analyzed by Southern hybridization using the labeled DNA probe.

Chromosomal E. coli DNA W3110 (10 μg) was completely digested with the following restriction enzymes: EcoRI, BamHI, Acc65I, HindIII, SalI. The volume of the mixtures was 50 μl, and the amount of each enzyme was 30 U. The mixtures were incubated for 4 h. The DNA digested in this way was fractionated through a 1% agarose gel in TBE buffer (Sambrook, J. Fritsch, E F. Maniatis, T. 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press., 1989, ISBN 0-87969-373-8) and transferred with the aid of a pressure transfer chamber (Stratagene) to a nylon membrane (Boehringer Mannheim) and covalently fixed to the membrane by UV irradiation (Stratalinker, Stratagene). The hybridization with the DIG-labeled DNA probe took place in DIG Easyhyb buffer (Boehringer Mannheim) at 65° C. for 15 h. Development of the blot in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions shows hybridization of the BioS2 DIG-DNA probe with bands whose sizes were determined to be about 3-4 kb in the case of Acc65I, EcoRI and HindIII. BamHI-digested DNA showed hybridization with the bioS2 probe with a fragment of a considerably higher molecular weight. 3-4 kb fragments were preferably used for further cloning.

Cloning of bioS2 by Inverse PCR

In the case of the EcoRI digestion, a fragment of about 4 kb which harbors the gene which is sought was identified. The complete gene was then amplified and cloned by the inverse PCR technique. In the first step of the inverse PCR, chromosomal E. coli DNA was completely digested by EcoRI. In the second step, the EcoRI-digested DNA was then covalently ligated at low DNA concentrations (about 20 ng/ml) from the previously described restriction digestion by ligase under conditions under which, viewed statistically, there is intramolecular linkage. In the third step, a PCR was then carried out employing oligonucleotides whose sequence is specific for the target gene which is sought.

Specifically amplified DNA segments can be identified on the basis of their size, which emerges from the size of the restriction fragment from the Southern analysis and from the localization of the oligonucleotides in the known section of the gene. Fragments identified in this way are then cloned into a suitable vector such as pBS SK Bluescript/pCR Script (Stratagene), and sequenced.

Experimental Procedure:

1 μg of chromosomal DNA from the strain W3110 was completely digested by 15 U of EcoRI (Boehringer Mannheim) in a volume of 50 μl. The completeness of digestion was checked by loading 30 μl onto an agarose gel. Fragments from this digestion of chromosomal DNA (10 μl of the digest=200 ng) were incubated in a volume of 100 μl together with 10 μl of ligation buffer and 2 U of T4 ligase (Boehringer Mannheim) at 15° C. for 15 h (intramolecular ligation reaction). After the ligation reaction, the T4 ligase was inactivated by incubation at 65° C. for 20 min. 5 μl of this ligation mixture were used as template for a PCR. The primers PbioS2,3 (5′-GCGTGGGTAAACTGCCTATCGACCTGAGCC-3′) (SEQ ID NO:33) and PbioS2,4 (5′-CTACGCTTCCTTCAGCCTGCCAGCCGAAA-3′) (SEQ ID NO:34) were synthesized starting from the sequence of bioS2.

Oligonucleotide PbioS2,3 hybridizes on the 5′ side of bioS2 and results in the elongation of amplification of the coding sequence taking place on the 5′ side on the complementary strand in the 3′ direction.

Oligonucleotide PbioS2,4 hybridizes on the 3′ side of bioS2 and results in the elongation of amplification of the coding sequence taking place on the 3′ side on the coding strand in the 3′ direction.

Used: 5 μl of the ligation mixture, 1.75 μl of deoxynucleotide mixture (350 μmol, Boehringer Mannheim), 15 pmol of each oligonucleotide PbioS2,5 and PbioS2,6, buffer 1 from the kit with 1.75 mM MgCl₂, 0.75 μl of expand polymerase mix.

Conditions for the amplification of the ligated E. coli DNA with primer PbioS2,3/PbioS2,4. Expand kit (Boehringer Mannheim) melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 2 min, melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 10 sec, annealing at 61° C. for 30 sec, elongation at 68° C. for 3.30 min over 10 cycles, melting of the DNA at 94° C. for 10 sec, annealing at 61° C. for 30 sec, elongation at 68° C. for 3.30 min, extension of the elongation for 20 sec per cycle over 20 cycles.

The described amplification resulted in a PCR product of about 3 kb. This DNA fragment showed pronounced Southern hybridization with the bioS2-DIG-DNA probe described above under stringent conditions.

It was assumed that this DNA fragment comprises DNA sequences which are highly homologous with bioS2. This DNA fragment was therefore cloned into a vector in order to characterize it further and sequence it. Using the pCR Script kit (Stratagene), the DNA fragment was first treated with Pfu polymerase in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, and then ligated into the vector pCR Script. The ligation mixture was transformed into XL1-blue cells (Stratagene) and plated out on LB-Amp. A positive clone which harbored a fragment was identified by minipreparation analysis. Sequencing revealed the complete sequence depicted in SEQ ID No. 3 (=bioS2).

BioS2 was then amplified and cloned as expression cassette as for bioS1. For this purpose, an MluI recognition site and an optimized Shine-Dalgarno sequence were added on the 5′ side of the gene, and an MluI recognition site was added on the 3′ side of the gene, by PCR with the oligonucleotides PbioS2,5 (5′-CATGACGCGTAAAGAGGAGAAATTAACTATGAAATTACCGATTTATTTGG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:35) and PbioS2,6 (5′-GCGACGCGTGATTAATGATGAGCCCAT-3′) (SEQ ID NO:36).

PCR Procedure:

0.5 μg of chromosomal DNA from W3110 was employed as template. The oligonucleotides PbioS2,5 and PbioS2,6 were each employed in a concentration of 15 pM. The concentration of dNTPs was 200 μM. 2.5 U of Pwo DNA polymerase (Boehringer Mannheim) were employed as polymerase in the manufacturer's reaction buffer. The volume for the PCR was 100 μl.

Amplification Conditions:

Denaturation at 94° C. for 2 sec, annealing of the oligonucleotides at 55° C. for 30 sec, elongation at 72° C. for 45 sec. The PCR was carried out over 30 cycles.

The resulting DNA product with the correct size of about 1200 bp was purified by the PCR purification kit (Boehringer Mannheim) and digested by MluI in a suitable. buffer.

5 μg of the vector pHS2 were digested by MluI and dephosphorylated by shrimp alkaline phosphatase (SAP) (Boehringer Mannheim). After denaturation of the SAP, the vector and fragment were ligated in a molar ratio of 1:3 by the rapid DNA ligation kit in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The ligation mixture was transformed into the strain XL1-blue. Positive clones were identified by plasmid preparation and restriction analysis. Correct orientation of the bioS2 fragment in pHS2 was determined by restriction digestion and sequencing. The vector was called pHS2 bioS2 (FIG. 3). The sequence of pHS2 bioS2 is to be found in SEQ ID No. 11. The derived amino acid sequence of bioS2 in the vector is to be found in SEQ ID No. 12. Cloning of bioS2 into the vector pHS1 was carried out in a similar way. The sequence of pHS1 bioS2 is to be found in SEQ ID No. 7 (FIG. 4). The derived amino acid sequence of bioS2 in the vector is to be found in SEQ ID No. 8.

5. Construction of the plasmid pHBbio14

The Bio operon was cloned in vivo by a transducing lambda phage. Lambda bio⁺phages were selected by transduction of an E. coli bio-negative strain to bio⁺. The isolated bio⁺ transducing lambda phage was propagated, and the lambda DNA was purified. This was followed by excision of an 8.7 kb EcoRI/HindIII fragment with the complete biotin operon out of the lambda phage DNA and ligation of the fragment into pBR322 which had been cut with EcoRI/HindIII. Positive clones were identified by plasmid preparation and restriction analysis.

Deletion of a 1.2 kb 3′ Fragment of bioD

Unnecessary gene sequences on the 3′ side of the bioD gene were deleted. For this purpose, an EcoRI cleavage site was introduced behind the bioD stop codon by PCR. The oligonucleotides Pbio1,1 (5′-AATAAGGAATTCTTATGTACTTTCCGGTTGCCG-3′) (SEQ ID NO:37) and Pbio1,2 (5′-AACAGCAGCCTGCAGCTGGATTA-3′) (SEQ ID NO:38) for this PCR were developed according to the operon sequence of Otsuka et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1988: 19577-85).

PCR Conditions:

2,5 U of Taq polymerase (Perkin Elmer) and 15 pmol of each primer were reacted in a volume of 100 μl. The annealing was carried out at 50° C. and the elongation at 72° C. for 1 min over 30 cycles. A 488 bp fragment was isolated and purified on an agarose gel.

Digestion of the resulting fragment with EcoRI/PstI. Digestion of pHBbio1 with EcoRI/PstI. Isolation of a 9.5 kb fragment.

The 9.5 kb fragment was ligated to the 488 bp fragment and transformed into XL1-blue cells. Resulting clones were analyzed by plasmid preparation and by restriction analysis of the plasmid DNA using the enzymes EcoRI and HindIII, and positive clones which harbored a 5.9 kb fragment were identified. A clone was isolated and was called pHBbio2. Plasmid DNA was obtained from this clone. 5 μg of pHBbio2 were digested with EcoRI/HindIII, and the 5.9 kb fragment which contained the complete biotin biosynthesis genes was isolated.

5 μg of the plasmid pAT153 were digested with EcoRI and HindIII. The resulting 5.9 kb fragment with the biotin biosynthesis genes was ligated to the digested vector pAT153 and transformed into XL1-blue. Resulting clones were analyzed by plasmid preparation and by restriction analysis of the plasmid DNA with the enzymes EcoRI and HindIII. Positive clones were identified, and a clone was isolated and called pHBbio14.

6. Increasing Biotin Productivity by Overexpression of bioS1

Strain BM4092 (Barker and Campbell) was transduced to recA⁻ by a P1 transduction using a P1 lysate which had grown on a recA::Tn10-harboring strain. Success of the transduction was detected by increased UV sensitivity of the positive transductants. The resulting strain LU8091 was then transformed with the plasmid pHBbio14 by the CaCl₂ method and was cultured on LB-ampicillin 100 μg/ml. One clone was isolated, and this was transformed with each of the plasmids pHS1 bioS1 and pHS2 bioS2 by the CaCl₂ method and selected on LB agar, ampicillin 100 μg/ml and kanamycin 25 μg/ml.

One colony of each of the transformants was inoculated in a DYT culture with the appropriate antibiotic and incubated for 12 h. The overnight culture was employed for inoculation of a 10 ml culture in TB medium (Sambrook, J. Fritsch, E F. Maniatis, T. 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press., 1989 ISBN 0-87969-373-8) with the appropriate antibiotics, and was cultured for 24 h. After completion of growth, the cells were removed from the culture supernatant by centrifugation, and the biotin and dethiobiotin concentrations were determined by an ELISA with streptavidin and avidin in the supernatant. The results of this determination are to be found in Table I.

TABLE I Determination of the biotin and dethiobiotin concentrations Strain Plasmid I Plasmid II Biotin mg/l Dethiobiotin mg/l Lu8091 pHBbio14 9.4 45.6 Lu8091 pHBbio14 pHS1 bioS1 15.3 19.7 Lu8091 pHBbio14 pHS2 bioS1 19.2 15.8

SEQUENCE LISTING <160> NUMBER OF SEQ ID NOS: 38 <210> SEQ ID NO 1 <211> LENGTH: 1216 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: E. Coli w3110 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: 5′UTR <222> LOCATION: 1...11 <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 12...1216 <400> SEQUENCE: 1 cgaggagtac c atg aac gtt ttt aat ccc gcg cag ttt cgc gcc cag ttt 50 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe 1 5 10 ccc gca cta cag gat gcg ggc gtc tat ctc gac agc gcc gcg acc gcg 98 Pro Ala Leu Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala 15 20 25 ctt aaa cct gaa gcc gtg gtt gaa gcc acc caa cag ttt tac agt ctg 146 Leu Lys Pro Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu 30 35 40 45 agc gcc gga aac gtc cat cgc agc cag ttt gcc gaa gcc caa cgc ctg 194 Ser Ala Gly Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu 50 55 60 acc gcg cgt tat gaa gct gca cga gag aaa gtg gcg caa tta ctg aat 242 Thr Ala Arg Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn 65 70 75 gca ccg gat gat aaa act atc gtc tgg acg cgc ggc acc act gaa tcc 290 Ala Pro Asp Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser 80 85 90 atc aac atg gtg gca caa tgc tat gcg cgt ccg cgt ctg caa ccg ggc 338 Ile Asn Met Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly 95 100 105 gat gag att att gtc agc gtg gca gaa cac cac gcc aac ctc gtc ccc 386 Asp Glu Ile Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro 110 115 120 125 tgg ctg atg gtc gcc caa caa act gga gcc aaa gtg gtg aaa ttg ccg 434 Trp Leu Met Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro 130 135 140 ctt aat gcg cag cga ctg ccg gat gtc gat ttg ttg cca gaa ctg att 482 Leu Asn Ala Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile 145 150 155 act ccc cgt agt cgg att ctg gcg ttg ggt cag atg tcg aac gtt act 530 Thr Pro Arg Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr 160 165 170 ggc ggt tgc ccg gat ctg gcg cga gcg att acc ttt gct cat tca gcc 578 Gly Gly Cys Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala 175 180 185 ggg atg gtg gtg atg gtt gat ggt gct cag ggg gca gtg cat ttc ccc 626 Gly Met Val Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro 190 195 200 205 gcg gat gtt cag caa ctg gat att gat ttc tat gct ttt tca ggt cac 674 Ala Asp Val Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His 210 215 220 aaa ctg tat ggc ccg aca ggt atc ggc gtg ctg tat ggt aaa tca gaa 722 Lys Leu Tyr Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu 225 230 235 ctg ctg gag gcg atg tcg ccc tgg ctg ggc ggc ggc aaa atg gtt cac 770 Leu Leu Glu Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly Gly Gly Lys Met Val His 240 245 250 gaa gtg agt ttt gac ggc ttc acg act caa tct gcg ccg tgg aaa ctg 818 Glu Val Ser Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu 255 260 265 gaa gct gga acg cca aat gtc gct ggt gtc ata gga tta agc gcg gcg 866 Glu Ala Gly Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala 270 275 280 285 ctg gaa tgg ctg gca gat tac gat atc aac cag gcc gaa agc tgg agc 914 Leu Glu Trp Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser 290 295 300 cgt agc tta gca acg ctg gcg gaa gat gcg ctg gcg aaa cgt ccc ggc 962 Arg Ser Leu Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly 305 310 315 ttt cgt tca ttc cgc tgc cag gat tcc agc ctg ctg gcc ttt gat ttt 1010 Phe Arg Ser Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe 320 325 330 gct ggc gtt cat cat agc gat atg gtg acg ctg ctg gcg gag tac ggt 1058 Ala Gly Val His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly 335 340 345 att gcc ctg cgg gcc ggg cag cat tgc gct cag ccg cta ctg gca gaa 1106 Ile Ala Leu Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu 350 355 360 365 tta ggc gta acc ggc aca ctg cgc gcc tct ttt gcg cca tat aat aca 1154 Leu Gly Val Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr 370 375 380 aag agt gat gtg gat gcg ctg gtg aat gcc gtt gac cgc gcg ctg gaa 1202 Lys Ser Asp Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu 385 390 395 tta ttg gtg gat ta 1216 Leu Leu Val Asp 400 <210> SEQ ID NO 2 <211> LENGTH: 401 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: E. Coli w3110 <400> SEQUENCE: 2 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe Pro Ala Leu 1 5 10 15 Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Lys Pro 20 25 30 Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu Ser Ala Gly 35 40 45 Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu Thr Ala Arg 50 55 60 Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn Ala Pro Asp 65 70 75 80 Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser Ile Asn Met 85 90 95 Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly Asp Glu Ile 100 105 110 Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro Trp Leu Met 115 120 125 Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro Leu Asn Ala 130 135 140 Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile Thr Pro Arg 145 150 155 160 Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Cys 165 170 175 Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala Gly Met Val 180 185 190 Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro Ala Asp Val 195 200 205 Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His Lys Leu Tyr 210 215 220 Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu Leu Leu Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly Gly Gly Lys Met Val His Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu Glu Ala Gly 260 265 270 Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala Leu Glu Trp 275 280 285 Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser Arg Ser Leu 290 295 300 Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Arg Ser 305 310 315 320 Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe Ala Gly Val 325 330 335 His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly Ile Ala Leu 340 345 350 Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu Leu Gly Val 355 360 365 Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr Lys Ser Asp 370 375 380 Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu Leu Leu Val 385 390 395 400 Asp <210> SEQ ID NO 3 <211> LENGTH: 1232 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: E. Coli w3110 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: 5′UTR <222> LOCATION: 1...18 <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 19...1232 <400> SEQUENCE: 3 aaagaggaga aattaact atg aaa tta ccg att tat ctc gac tac tcc gca 51 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala 1 5 10 acc acg ccg gtg gac ccg cgt gtt gcc gag aaa atg atg cag ttt atg 99 Thr Thr Pro Val Asp Pro Arg Val Ala Glu Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met 15 20 25 acg atg gac gga acc ttt ggt aac ccg gcc tcc cgt tct cac cgt ttc 147 Thr Met Asp Gly Thr Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe 30 35 40 ggc tgg cag gct gaa gaa gcg gta gat atc gcc cgt aat cag att gcc 195 Gly Trp Gln Ala Glu Glu Ala Val Asp Ile Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala 45 50 55 gat ctg gtc ggc gct gat ccg cgt gaa atc gtc ttt acc tct ggt gca 243 Asp Leu Val Gly Ala Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala 60 65 70 75 acc gaa tct gac aac ctg gcg atc aaa ggt gca gcc aac ttt tat cag 291 Thr Glu Ser Asp Asn Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln 80 85 90 aaa aaa ggc aag cac atc atc acc agc aaa acc gaa cac aaa gcg gta 339 Lys Lys Gly Lys His Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val 95 100 105 ctg gat acc tgc cgt cag ctg gag cgc gaa ggt ttt gaa gtc acc tac 387 Leu Asp Thr Cys Arg Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr 110 115 120 ctg gca ccg cag cgt aac ggc att atc gac ctg aaa gaa ctt gaa gca 435 Leu Ala Pro Gln Arg Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala 125 130 135 gcg atg cgt gac gac acc atc ctc gtg tcc atc atg cac gta aat aac 483 Ala Met Arg Asp Asp Thr Ile Leu Val Ser Ile Met His Val Asn Asn 140 145 150 155 gaa atc ggc gtg gtg cag gat atc gcg gct atc ggc gaa atg tgc cgt 531 Glu Ile Gly Val Val Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg 160 165 170 gct cgt ggc att atc tat cac gtt gat gca acc cag agc gtg ggt aaa 579 Ala Arg Gly Ile Ile Tyr His Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys 175 180 185 ctg cct atc gac ctg agc cag ttg aaa gtt gac ctg atg tct ttc tcc 627 Leu Pro Ile Asp Leu Ser Gln Leu Lys Val Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser 190 195 200 ggt cac aaa atc tat ggc ccg aaa ggt atc ggt gcg ctg tat gta cgt 675 Gly His Lys Ile Tyr Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg 205 210 215 cgt aaa ccg cgc gta cgc atc gaa gcg caa atg cac ggc ggc ggt cac 723 Arg Lys Pro Arg Val Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln Met His Gly Gly Gly His 220 225 230 235 gag cgc ggt atg cgt tcc ggc act ctg cct gtt cac cag atc gtc gga 771 Glu Arg Gly Met Arg Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro Val His Gln Ile Val Gly 240 245 250 atg ggc gag gcc tat cgc atc gca aaa gaa gag atg gcg acc gag atg 819 Met Gly Glu Ala Tyr Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met 255 260 265 gaa cgt ctg cgc ggc ctg cgt aac cgt ctg tgg aac ggc atc aaa gat 867 Glu Arg Leu Arg Gly Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp 270 275 280 atc gaa gaa gtt tac ctg aac ggt gac ctg gaa cac ggt gcg ccg aac 915 Ile Glu Glu Val Tyr Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn 285 290 295 att ctc aac gtc agc ttc aac tac gtt gaa ggt gag tcg ctg att atg 963 Ile Leu Asn Val Ser Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met 300 305 310 315 gcg ctg aaa gac ctc gca gtt tct tca ggt tcc gcc tgt acg tca gca 1011 Ala Leu Lys Asp Leu Ala Val Ser Ser Gly Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala 320 325 330 agc ctc gaa ccg tcc tac gtg ctg cgc gcg ctg ggg ctg aac gac gag 1059 Ser Leu Glu Pro Ser Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu 335 340 345 ctg gca cat agc tct atc cgt ttc tct tta ggt cgt ttt act act gaa 1107 Leu Ala His Ser Ser Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu 350 355 360 gaa gag atc gac tac acc atc gag tta gtt cgt aaa tcc atc ggt cgt 1155 Glu Glu Ile Asp Tyr Thr Ile Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg 365 370 375 ctg cgt gac ctt tct ccg ctg tgg gaa atg tac aag cag ggc gtg gat 1203 Leu Arg Asp Leu Ser Pro Leu Trp Glu Met Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp 380 385 390 395 ctg aac agc atc gaa tgg gct cat cat ta 1232 Leu Asn Ser Ile Glu Trp Ala His His 400 <210> SEQ ID NO 4 <211> LENGTH: 404 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: E. Coli w3110 <400> SEQUENCE: 4 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Pro Val Asp 1 5 10 15 Pro Arg Val Ala Glu Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met Thr Met Asp Gly Thr 20 25 30 Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe Gly Trp Gln Ala Glu 35 40 45 Glu Ala Val Asp Ile Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala Asp Leu Val Gly Ala 50 55 60 Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Thr Glu Ser Asp Asn 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln Lys Lys Gly Lys His 85 90 95 Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val Leu Asp Thr Cys Arg 100 105 110 Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr Leu Ala Pro Gln Arg 115 120 125 Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Met Arg Asp Asp 130 135 140 Thr Ile Leu Val Ser Ile Met His Val Asn Asn Glu Ile Gly Val Val 145 150 155 160 Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Ile Ile 165 170 175 Tyr His Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys Leu Pro Ile Asp Leu 180 185 190 Ser Gln Leu Lys Val Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser Gly His Lys Ile Tyr 195 200 205 Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg Arg Lys Pro Arg Val 210 215 220 Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln Met His Gly Gly Gly His Glu Arg Gly Met Arg 225 230 235 240 Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro Val His Gln Ile Val Gly Met Gly Glu Ala Tyr 245 250 255 Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met Glu Arg Leu Arg Gly 260 265 270 Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu Val Tyr 275 280 285 Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn Ile Leu Asn Val Ser 290 295 300 Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met Ala Leu Lys Asp Leu 305 310 315 320 Ala Val Ser Ser Gly Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Glu Pro Ser 325 330 335 Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu Leu Ala His Ser Ser 340 345 350 Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu Glu Glu Ile Asp Tyr 355 360 365 Thr Ile Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg Leu Arg Asp Leu Ser 370 375 380 Pro Leu Trp Glu Met Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp Leu Asn Ser Ile Glu 385 390 395 400 Trp Ala His His <210> SEQ ID NO 5 <211> LENGTH: 3794 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS1bioS1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 601...1806 <400> SEQUENCE: 5 gacgtctgtg tggaattgtg agcggataac aatttcacac agggccctcg gacaccgagg 60 agaatgtcaa gaggcgaaca cacaacgtct tggagcgcca gaggaggaac gagctaaaac 120 ggagcttttt tgccctgcgt gaccagatcc cggagttgga aaacaatgaa aaggccccca 180 aggtagttat ccttaaaaaa gccacagcat acatcctgtc cgtccaagca gaggagcaaa 240 agctcatttc tgaagaggac ttgttgcgga aacgacgaga acagttgaaa cacaaacttg 300 aacagctacg gaactcttgt gcgtaaggaa aagtaaggaa aacgattcct tctaacagaa 360 atgtcctgag caatcaccta tgaactgtcg actcgagata gcatttttat ccataagatt 420 agccgatcct aaggtttaca attgtgagcg ctcacaatta tgatagattc aattgtgagc 480 ggataacaat ttcacacacg ctagcggtac cgggcccccc ctcgaggtcg acggtatcga 540 taagcttgat atcgaattcc tgcagcccgg gggatcccat ggtacgcgtc gaggagtacc 600 atg aac gtt ttt aat ccc gcg cag ttt cgc gcc cag ttt ccc gca cta 648 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe Pro Ala Leu 1 5 10 15 cag gat gcg ggc gtc tat ctc gac agc gcc gcg acc gcg ctt aaa cct 696 Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Lys Pro 20 25 30 gaa gcc gtg gtt gaa gcc acc caa cag ttt tac agt ctg agc gcc gga 744 Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu Ser Ala Gly 35 40 45 aac gtc cat cgc agc cag ttt gcc gaa gcc caa cgc ctg acc gcg cgt 792 Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu Thr Ala Arg 50 55 60 tat gaa gct gca cga gag aaa gtg gcg caa tta ctg aat gca ccg gat 840 Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn Ala Pro Asp 65 70 75 80 gat aaa act atc gtc tgg acg cgc ggc acc act gaa tcc atc aac atg 888 Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser Ile Asn Met 85 90 95 gtg gca caa tgc tat gcg cgt ccg cgt ctg caa ccg ggc gat gag att 936 Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly Asp Glu Ile 100 105 110 att gtc agc gtg gca gaa cac cac gcc aac ctc gtc ccc tgg ctg atg 984 Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro Trp Leu Met 115 120 125 gtc gcc caa caa act gga gcc aaa gtg gtg aaa ttg ccg ctt aat gcg 1032 Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro Leu Asn Ala 130 135 140 cag cga ctg ccg gat gtc gat ttg ttg cca gaa ctg att act ccc cgt 1080 Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile Thr Pro Arg 145 150 155 160 agt cgg att ctg gcg ttg ggt cag atg tcg aac gtt act ggc ggt tgc 1128 Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Cys 165 170 175 ccg gat ctg gcg cga gcg att acc ttt gct cat tca gcc ggg atg gtg 1176 Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala Gly Met Val 180 185 190 gtg atg gtt gat ggt gct cag ggg gca gtg cat ttc ccc gcg gat gtt 1224 Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro Ala Asp Val 195 200 205 cag caa ctg gat att gat ttc tat gct ttt tca ggt cac aaa ctg tat 1272 Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His Lys Leu Tyr 210 215 220 ggc ccg aca ggt atc ggc gtg ctg tat ggt aaa tca gaa ctg ctg gag 1320 Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu Leu Leu Glu 225 230 235 240 gcg atg tcg ccc tgg ctg ggc ggc ggc aaa atg gtt cac gaa gtg agt 1368 Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly Gly Gly Lys Met Val His Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 ttt gac ggc ttc acg act caa tct gcg ccg tgg aaa ctg gaa gct gga 1416 Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu Glu Ala Gly 260 265 270 acg cca aat gtc gct ggt gtc ata gga tta agc gcg gcg ctg gaa tgg 1464 Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala Leu Glu Trp 275 280 285 ctg gca gat tac gat atc aac cag gcc gaa agc tgg agc cgt agc tta 1512 Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser Arg Ser Leu 290 295 300 gca acg ctg gcg gaa gat gcg ctg gcg aaa cgt ccc ggc ttt cgt tca 1560 Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Arg Ser 305 310 315 320 ttc cgc tgc cag gat tcc agc ctg ctg gcc ttt gat ttt gct ggc gtt 1608 Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe Ala Gly Val 325 330 335 cat cat agc gat atg gtg acg ctg ctg gcg gag tac ggt att gcc ctg 1656 His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly Ile Ala Leu 340 345 350 cgg gcc ggg cag cat tgc gct cag ccg cta ctg gca gaa tta ggc gta 1704 Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu Leu Gly Val 355 360 365 acc ggc aca ctg cgc gcc tct ttt gcg cca tat aat aca aag agt gat 1752 Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr Lys Ser Asp 370 375 380 gtg gat gcg ctg gtg aat gcc gtt gac cgc gcg ctg gaa tta ttg gtg 1800 Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu Leu Leu Val 385 390 395 400 gat taaacgcgtg ctagaggcat caaataaaac gaaaggctca gtcgaaagac 1853 Asp tgggcctttc gttttatctg ttgtttgtcg gtgaacgctc tcctgagtag gacaaatccg 1913 ccgccctaga cctaggggat atattccgct tcctcgctca ctgactcgct acgctcggtc 1973 gttcgactgc ggcgagcgga aatggcttac gaacggggcg gagatttcct ggaagatgcc 2033 aggaagatac ttaacaggga agtgagaggg ccgcggcaaa gccgtttttc cataggctcc 2093 gcccccctga caagcatcac gaaatctgac gctcaaatca gtggtggcga aacccgacag 2153 gactataaag ataccaggcg tttccccctg gcggctccct cgtgcgctct cctgttcctg 2213 cctttcggtt taccggtgtc attccgctgt tatggccgcg tttgtctcat tccacgcctg 2273 acactcagtt ccgggtaggc agttcgctcc aagctggact gtatgcacga accccccgtt 2333 cagtccgacc gctgcgcctt atccggtaac tatcgtcttg agtccaaccc ggaaagacat 2393 gcaaaagcac cactggcagc agccactggt aattgattta gaggagttag tcttgaagtc 2453 atgcgccggt taaggctaaa ctgaaaggac aagttttggt gactgcgctc ctccaagcca 2513 gttacctcgg ttcaaagagt tggtagctca gagaaccttc gaaaaaccgc cctgcaaggc 2573 ggttttttcg ttttcagagc aagagattac gcgcagacca aaacgatctc aagaagatca 2633 tcttattaat cagataaaat atttctagat ttcagtgcaa tttatctctt caaatgtagc 2693 acctgaagtc agccccatac gatataagtt gttactagtg cttggattct caccaataaa 2753 aaacgcccgg cggcaaccga gcgttctgaa caaatccaga tggagttctg aggtcattac 2813 tggatctatc aacaggagtc caagcgagct ctcgaacccc agagtcccgc tcagaagaac 2873 tcgtcaagaa ggcgatagaa ggcgatgcgc tgcgaatcgg gagcggcgat accgtaaagc 2933 acgaggaagc ggtcagccca ttcgccgcca agctcttcag caatatcacg ggtagccaac 2993 gctatgtcct gatagcggtc cgccacaccc agccggccac agtcgatgaa tccagaaaag 3053 cggccatttt ccaccatgat attcggcaag caggcatcgc catgggtcac gacgagatcc 3113 tcgccgtcgg gcatgcgcgc cttgagcctg gcgaacagtt cggctggcgc gagcccctga 3173 tgctcttcgt ccagatcatc ctgatcgaca agaccggctt ccatccgagt acgtgctcgc 3233 tcgatgcgat gtttcgcttg gtggtcgaat gggcaggtag ccggatcaag cgtatgcagc 3293 cgccgcattg catcagccat gatggatact ttctcggcag gagcaaggtg agatgacagg 3353 agatcctgcc ccggcacttc gcccaatagc agccagtccc ttcccgcttc agtgacaacg 3413 tcgagcacag ctgcgcaagg aacgcccgtc gtggccagcc acgatagccg cgctgcctcg 3473 tcctgcagtt cattcagggc accggacagg tcggtcttga caaaaagaac cgggcgcccc 3533 tgcgctgaca gccggaacac ggcggcatca gagcagccga ttgtctgttg tgcccagtca 3593 tagccgaata gcctctccac ccaagcggcc ggagaacctg cgtgcaatcc atcttgttca 3653 atcatgcgaa acgatcctca tcctgtctct tgatcagatc ttgatcccct gcgccatcag 3713 atccttggcg gcaagaaagc catccagttt actttgcagg gcttcccaac cttaccagag 3773 ggcgccccag ctggcaattc c 3794 <210> SEQ ID NO 6 <211> LENGTH: 401 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS1bioS1 <400> SEQUENCE: 6 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe Pro Ala Leu 1 5 10 15 Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Lys Pro 20 25 30 Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu Ser Ala Gly 35 40 45 Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu Thr Ala Arg 50 55 60 Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn Ala Pro Asp 65 70 75 80 Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser Ile Asn Met 85 90 95 Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly Asp Glu Ile 100 105 110 Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro Trp Leu Met 115 120 125 Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro Leu Asn Ala 130 135 140 Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile Thr Pro Arg 145 150 155 160 Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Cys 165 170 175 Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala Gly Met Val 180 185 190 Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro Ala Asp Val 195 200 205 Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His Lys Leu Tyr 210 215 220 Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu Leu Leu Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly Gly Gly Lys Met Val His Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu Glu Ala Gly 260 265 270 Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala Leu Glu Trp 275 280 285 Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser Arg Ser Leu 290 295 300 Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Arg Ser 305 310 315 320 Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe Ala Gly Val 325 330 335 His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly Ile Ala Leu 340 345 350 Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu Leu Gly Val 355 360 365 Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr Lys Ser Asp 370 375 380 Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu Leu Leu Val 385 390 395 400 Asp <210> SEQ ID NO 7 <211> LENGTH: 3810 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS1bioS2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 608...1822 <400> SEQUENCE: 7 gacgtctgtg tggaattgtg agcggataac aatttcacac agggccctcg gacaccgagg 60 agaatgtcaa gaggcgaaca cacaacgtct tggagcgcca gaggaggaac gagctaaaac 120 ggagcttttt tgccctgcgt gaccagatcc cggagttgga aaacaatgaa aaggccccca 180 aggtagttat ccttaaaaaa gccacagcat acatcctgtc cgtccaagca gaggagcaaa 240 agctcatttc tgaagaggac ttgttgcgga aacgacgaga acagttgaaa cacaaacttg 300 aacagctacg gaactcttgt gcgtaaggaa aagtaaggaa aacgattcct tctaacagaa 360 atgtcctgag caatcaccta tgaactgtcg actcgagata gcatttttat ccataagatt 420 agccgatcct aaggtttaca attgtgagcg ctcacaatta tgatagattc aattgtgagc 480 ggataacaat ttcacacacg ctagcggtac cgggcccccc ctcgaggtcg acggtatcga 540 taagcttgat atcgaattcc tgcagcccgg gggatcccat ggtacgcgta aagaggagaa 600 attaact atg aaa tta ccg att tat ctc gac tac tcc gca acc acg ccg 649 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Pro 1 5 10 gtg gac ccg cgt gtt gcc gag aaa atg atg cag ttt atg acg atg gac 697 Val Asp Pro Arg Val Ala Glu Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met Thr Met Asp 15 20 25 30 gga acc ttt ggt aac ccg gcc tcc cgt tct cac cgt ttc ggc tgg cag 745 Gly Thr Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe Gly Trp Gln 35 40 45 gct gaa gaa gcg gta gat atc gcc cgt aat cag att gcc gat ctg gtc 793 Ala Glu Glu Ala Val Asp Ile Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala Asp Leu Val 50 55 60 ggc gct gat ccg cgt gaa atc gtc ttt acc tct ggt gca acc gaa tct 841 Gly Ala Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Thr Glu Ser 65 70 75 gac aac ctg gcg atc aaa ggt gca gcc aac ttt tat cag aaa aaa ggc 889 Asp Asn Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln Lys Lys Gly 80 85 90 aag cac atc atc acc agc aaa acc gaa cac aaa gcg gta ctg gat acc 937 Lys His Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val Leu Asp Thr 95 100 105 110 tgc cgt cag ctg gag cgc gaa ggt ttt gaa gtc acc tac ctg gca ccg 985 Cys Arg Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr Leu Ala Pro 115 120 125 cag cgt aac ggc att atc gac ctg aaa gaa ctt gaa gca gcg atg cgt 1033 Gln Arg Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Met Arg 130 135 140 gac gac acc atc ctc gtg tcc atc atg cac gta aat aac gaa atc ggc 1081 Asp Asp Thr Ile Leu Val Ser Ile Met His Val Asn Asn Glu Ile Gly 145 150 155 gtg gtg cag gat atc gcg gct atc ggc gaa atg tgc cgt gct cgt ggc 1129 Val Val Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly 160 165 170 att atc tat cac gtt gat gca acc cag agc gtg ggt aaa ctg cct atc 1177 Ile Ile Tyr His Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys Leu Pro Ile 175 180 185 190 gac ctg agc cag ttg aaa gtt gac ctg atg tct ttc tcc ggt cac aaa 1225 Asp Leu Ser Gln Leu Lys Val Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser Gly His Lys 195 200 205 atc tat ggc ccg aaa ggt atc ggt gcg ctg tat gta cgt cgt aaa ccg 1273 Ile Tyr Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg Arg Lys Pro 210 215 220 cgc gta cgc atc gaa gcg caa atg cac ggc ggc ggt cac gag cgc ggt 1321 Arg Val Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln Met His Gly Gly Gly His Glu Arg Gly 225 230 235 atg cgt tcc ggc act ctg cct gtt cac cag atc gtc gga atg ggc gag 1369 Met Arg Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro Val His Gln Ile Val Gly Met Gly Glu 240 245 250 gcc tat cgc atc gca aaa gaa gag atg gcg acc gag atg gaa cgt ctg 1417 Ala Tyr Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met Glu Arg Leu 255 260 265 270 cgc ggc ctg cgt aac cgt ctg tgg aac ggc atc aaa gat atc gaa gaa 1465 Arg Gly Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu 275 280 285 gtt tac ctg aac ggt gac ctg gaa cac ggt gcg ccg aac att ctc aac 1513 Val Tyr Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn Ile Leu Asn 290 295 300 gtc agc ttc aac tac gtt gaa ggt gag tcg ctg att atg gcg ctg aaa 1561 Val Ser Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met Ala Leu Lys 305 310 315 gac ctc gca gtt tct tca ggt tcc gcc tgt acg tca gca agc ctc gaa 1609 Asp Leu Ala Val Ser Ser Gly Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Glu 320 325 330 ccg tcc tac gtg ctg cgc gcg ctg ggg ctg aac gac gag ctg gca cat 1657 Pro Ser Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu Leu Ala His 335 340 345 350 agc tct atc cgt ttc tct tta ggt cgt ttt act act gaa gaa gag atc 1705 Ser Ser Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu Glu Glu Ile 355 360 365 gac tac acc atc gag tta gtt cgt aaa tcc atc ggt cgt ctg cgt gac 1753 Asp Tyr Thr Ile Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg Leu Arg Asp 370 375 380 ctt tct ccg ctg tgg gaa atg tac aag cag ggc gtg gat ctg aac agc 1801 Leu Ser Pro Leu Trp Glu Met Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp Leu Asn Ser 385 390 395 atc gaa tgg gct cat cat taaacgcgtg ctagaggcat caaataaaac 1849 Ile Glu Trp Ala His His 400 gaaaggctca gtcgaaagac tgggcctttc gttttatctg ttgtttgtcg gtgaacgctc 1909 tcctgagtag gacaaatccg ccgccctaga cctaggggat atattccgct tcctcgctca 1969 ctgactcgct acgctcggtc gttcgactgc ggcgagcgga aatggcttac gaacggggcg 2029 gagatttcct ggaagatgcc aggaagatac ttaacaggga agtgagaggg ccgcggcaaa 2089 gccgtttttc cataggctcc gcccccctga caagcatcac gaaatctgac gctcaaatca 2149 gtggtggcga aacccgacag gactataaag ataccaggcg tttccccctg gcggctccct 2209 cgtgcgctct cctgttcctg cctttcggtt taccggtgtc attccgctgt tatggccgcg 2269 tttgtctcat tccacgcctg acactcagtt ccgggtaggc agttcgctcc aagctggact 2329 gtatgcacga accccccgtt cagtccgacc gctgcgcctt atccggtaac tatcgtcttg 2389 agtccaaccc ggaaagacat gcaaaagcac cactggcagc agccactggt aattgattta 2449 gaggagttag tcttgaagtc atgcgccggt taaggctaaa ctgaaaggac aagttttggt 2509 gactgcgctc ctccaagcca gttacctcgg ttcaaagagt tggtagctca gagaaccttc 2569 gaaaaaccgc cctgcaaggc ggttttttcg ttttcagagc aagagattac gcgcagacca 2629 aaacgatctc aagaagatca tcttattaat cagataaaat atttctagat ttcagtgcaa 2689 tttatctctt caaatgtagc acctgaagtc agccccatac gatataagtt gttactagtg 2749 cttggattct caccaataaa aaacgcccgg cggcaaccga gcgttctgaa caaatccaga 2809 tggagttctg aggtcattac tggatctatc aacaggagtc caagcgagct ctcgaacccc 2869 agagtcccgc tcagaagaac tcgtcaagaa ggcgatagaa ggcgatgcgc tgcgaatcgg 2929 gagcggcgat accgtaaagc acgaggaagc ggtcagccca ttcgccgcca agctcttcag 2989 caatatcacg ggtagccaac gctatgtcct gatagcggtc cgccacaccc agccggccac 3049 agtcgatgaa tccagaaaag cggccatttt ccaccatgat attcggcaag caggcatcgc 3109 catgggtcac gacgagatcc tcgccgtcgg gcatgcgcgc cttgagcctg gcgaacagtt 3169 cggctggcgc gagcccctga tgctcttcgt ccagatcatc ctgatcgaca agaccggctt 3229 ccatccgagt acgtgctcgc tcgatgcgat gtttcgcttg gtggtcgaat gggcaggtag 3289 ccggatcaag cgtatgcagc cgccgcattg catcagccat gatggatact ttctcggcag 3349 gagcaaggtg agatgacagg agatcctgcc ccggcacttc gcccaatagc agccagtccc 3409 ttcccgcttc agtgacaacg tcgagcacag ctgcgcaagg aacgcccgtc gtggccagcc 3469 acgatagccg cgctgcctcg tcctgcagtt cattcagggc accggacagg tcggtcttga 3529 caaaaagaac cgggcgcccc tgcgctgaca gccggaacac ggcggcatca gagcagccga 3589 ttgtctgttg tgcccagtca tagccgaata gcctctccac ccaagcggcc ggagaacctg 3649 cgtgcaatcc atcttgttca atcatgcgaa acgatcctca tcctgtctct tgatcagatc 3709 ttgatcccct gcgccatcag atccttggcg gcaagaaagc catccagttt actttgcagg 3769 gcttcccaac cttaccagag ggcgccccag ctggcaattc c 3810 <210> SEQ ID NO 8 <211> LENGTH: 404 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS1bioS2 <400> SEQUENCE: 8 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Pro Val Asp 1 5 10 15 Pro Arg Val Ala Glu Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met Thr Met Asp Gly Thr 20 25 30 Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe Gly Trp Gln Ala Glu 35 40 45 Glu Ala Val Asp Ile Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala Asp Leu Val Gly Ala 50 55 60 Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Thr Glu Ser Asp Asn 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln Lys Lys Gly Lys His 85 90 95 Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val Leu Asp Thr Cys Arg 100 105 110 Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr Leu Ala Pro Gln Arg 115 120 125 Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Met Arg Asp Asp 130 135 140 Thr Ile Leu Val Ser Ile Met His Val Asn Asn Glu Ile Gly Val Val 145 150 155 160 Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Ile Ile 165 170 175 Tyr His Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys Leu Pro Ile Asp Leu 180 185 190 Ser Gln Leu Lys Val Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser Gly His Lys Ile Tyr 195 200 205 Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg Arg Lys Pro Arg Val 210 215 220 Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln Met His Gly Gly Gly His Glu Arg Gly Met Arg 225 230 235 240 Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro Val His Gln Ile Val Gly Met Gly Glu Ala Tyr 245 250 255 Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met Glu Arg Leu Arg Gly 260 265 270 Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu Val Tyr 275 280 285 Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn Ile Leu Asn Val Ser 290 295 300 Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met Ala Leu Lys Asp Leu 305 310 315 320 Ala Val Ser Ser Gly Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Glu Pro Ser 325 330 335 Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu Leu Ala His Ser Ser 340 345 350 Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu Glu Glu Ile Asp Tyr 355 360 365 Thr Ile Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg Leu Arg Asp Leu Ser 370 375 380 Pro Leu Trp Glu Met Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp Leu Asn Ser Ile Glu 385 390 395 400 Trp Ala His His <210> SEQ ID NO 9 <211> LENGTH: 3465 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS2bioS1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 272...1477 <400> SEQUENCE: 9 gacgtctaag aaaccattat tatcatgaca ttaacctata aaaataggcg tatcacgagg 60 ccctttcgtc ttcacctcga gtccctatca gtgatagaga ttgacatccc tatcagtgat 120 agagatactg agcacatcag caggacgcac tgaccgaatt cattaaagag gagaaaggta 180 ccgggccccc cctcgaggtc gacggtatcg ataagcttga tatcgaattc ctgcagcccg 240 ggggatccca tggtacgcgt cgaggagtac c atg aac gtt ttt aat ccc gcg 292 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala 1 5 cag ttt cgc gcc cag ttt ccc gca cta cag gat gcg ggc gtc tat ctc 340 Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe Pro Ala Leu Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu 10 15 20 gac agc gcc gcg acc gcg ctt aaa cct gaa gcc gtg gtt gaa gcc acc 388 Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Lys Pro Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr 25 30 35 caa cag ttt tac agt ctg agc gcc gga aac gtc cat cgc agc cag ttt 436 Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu Ser Ala Gly Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe 40 45 50 55 gcc gaa gcc caa cgc ctg acc gcg cgt tat gaa gct gca cga gag aaa 484 Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu Thr Ala Arg Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys 60 65 70 gtg gcg caa tta ctg aat gca ccg gat gat aaa act atc gtc tgg acg 532 Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn Ala Pro Asp Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr 75 80 85 cgc ggc acc act gaa tcc atc aac atg gtg gca caa tgc tat gcg cgt 580 Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser Ile Asn Met Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg 90 95 100 ccg cgt ctg caa ccg ggc gat gag att att gtc agc gtg gca gaa cac 628 Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly Asp Glu Ile Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His 105 110 115 cac gcc aac ctc gtc ccc tgg ctg atg gtc gcc caa caa act gga gcc 676 His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro Trp Leu Met Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala 120 125 130 135 aaa gtg gtg aaa ttg ccg ctt aat gcg cag cga ctg ccg gat gtc gat 724 Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro Leu Asn Ala Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp 140 145 150 ttg ttg cca gaa ctg att act ccc cgt agt cgg att ctg gcg ttg ggt 772 Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile Thr Pro Arg Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly 155 160 165 cag atg tcg aac gtt act ggc ggt tgc ccg gat ctg gcg cga gcg att 820 Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Cys Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile 170 175 180 acc ttt gct cat tca gcc ggg atg gtg gtg atg gtt gat ggt gct cag 868 Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala Gly Met Val Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln 185 190 195 ggg gca gtg cat ttc ccc gcg gat gtt cag caa ctg gat att gat ttc 916 Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro Ala Asp Val Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe 200 205 210 215 tat gct ttt tca ggt cac aaa ctg tat ggc ccg aca ggt atc ggc gtg 964 Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His Lys Leu Tyr Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val 220 225 230 ctg tat ggt aaa tca gaa ctg ctg gag gcg atg tcg ccc tgg ctg ggc 1012 Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu Leu Leu Glu Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly 235 240 245 ggc ggc aaa atg gtt cac gaa gtg agt ttt gac ggc ttc acg act caa 1060 Gly Gly Lys Met Val His Glu Val Ser Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln 250 255 260 tct gcg ccg tgg aaa ctg gaa gct gga acg cca aat gtc gct ggt gtc 1108 Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu Glu Ala Gly Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val 265 270 275 ata gga tta agc gcg gcg ctg gaa tgg ctg gca gat tac gat atc aac 1156 Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala Leu Glu Trp Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn 280 285 290 295 cag gcc gaa agc tgg agc cgt agc tta gca acg ctg gcg gaa gat gcg 1204 Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser Arg Ser Leu Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala 300 305 310 ctg gcg aaa cgt ccc ggc ttt cgt tca ttc cgc tgc cag gat tcc agc 1252 Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Arg Ser Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser 315 320 325 ctg ctg gcc ttt gat ttt gct ggc gtt cat cat agc gat atg gtg acg 1300 Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe Ala Gly Val His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr 330 335 340 ctg ctg gcg gag tac ggt att gcc ctg cgg gcc ggg cag cat tgc gct 1348 Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly Ile Ala Leu Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala 345 350 355 cag ccg cta ctg gca gaa tta ggc gta acc ggc aca ctg cgc gcc tct 1396 Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu Leu Gly Val Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser 360 365 370 375 ttt gcg cca tat aat aca aag agt gat gtg gat gcg ctg gtg aat gcc 1444 Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr Lys Ser Asp Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala 380 385 390 gtt gac cgc gcg ctg gaa tta ttg gtg gat taaacgcgtg ctagaggcat 1494 Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu Leu Leu Val Asp 395 400 caaataaaac gaaaggctca gtcgaaagac tgggcctttc gttttatctg ttgtttgtcg 1554 gtgaacgctc tcctgagtag gacaaatccg ccgccctaga cctaggggat atattccgct 1614 tcctcgctca ctgactcgct acgctcggtc gttcgactgc ggcgagcgga aatggcttac 1674 gaacggggcg gagatttcct ggaagatgcc aggaagatac ttaacaggga agtgagaggg 1734 ccgcggcaaa gccgtttttc cataggctcc gcccccctga caagcatcac gaaatctgac 1794 gctcaaatca gtggtggcga aacccgacag gactataaag ataccaggcg tttccccctg 1854 gcggctccct cgtgcgctct cctgttcctg cctttcggtt taccggtgtc attccgctgt 1914 tatggccgcg tttgtctcat tccacgcctg acactcagtt ccgggtaggc agttcgctcc 1974 aagctggact gtatgcacga accccccgtt cagtccgacc gctgcgcctt atccggtaac 2034 tatcgtcttg agtccaaccc ggaaagacat gcaaaagcac cactggcagc agccactggt 2094 aattgattta gaggagttag tcttgaagtc atgcgccggt taaggctaaa ctgaaaggac 2154 aagttttggt gactgcgctc ctccaagcca gttacctcgg ttcaaagagt tggtagctca 2214 gagaaccttc gaaaaaccgc cctgcaaggc ggttttttcg ttttcagagc aagagattac 2274 gcgcagacca aaacgatctc aagaagatca tcttattaat cagataaaat atttctagat 2334 ttcagtgcaa tttatctctt caaatgtagc acctgaagtc agccccatac gatataagtt 2394 gttactagtg cttggattct caccaataaa aaacgcccgg cggcaaccga gcgttctgaa 2454 caaatccaga tggagttctg aggtcattac tggatctatc aacaggagtc caagcgagct 2514 ctcgaacccc agagtcccgc tcagaagaac tcgtcaagaa ggcgatagaa ggcgatgcgc 2574 tgcgaatcgg gagcggcgat accgtaaagc acgaggaagc ggtcagccca ttcgccgcca 2634 agctcttcag caatatcacg ggtagccaac gctatgtcct gatagcggtc cgccacaccc 2694 agccggccac agtcgatgaa tccagaaaag cggccatttt ccaccatgat attcggcaag 2754 caggcatcgc catgggtcac gacgagatcc tcgccgtcgg gcatgcgcgc cttgagcctg 2814 gcgaacagtt cggctggcgc gagcccctga tgctcttcgt ccagatcatc ctgatcgaca 2874 agaccggctt ccatccgagt acgtgctcgc tcgatgcgat gtttcgcttg gtggtcgaat 2934 gggcaggtag ccggatcaag cgtatgcagc cgccgcattg catcagccat gatggatact 2994 ttctcggcag gagcaaggtg agatgacagg agatcctgcc ccggcacttc gcccaatagc 3054 agccagtccc ttcccgcttc agtgacaacg tcgagcacag ctgcgcaagg aacgcccgtc 3114 gtggccagcc acgatagccg cgctgcctcg tcctgcagtt cattcagggc accggacagg 3174 tcggtcttga caaaaagaac cgggcgcccc tgcgctgaca gccggaacac ggcggcatca 3234 gagcagccga ttgtctgttg tgcccagtca tagccgaata gcctctccac ccaagcggcc 3294 ggagaacctg cgtgcaatcc atcttgttca atcatgcgaa acgatcctca tcctgtctct 3354 tgatcagatc ttgatcccct gcgccatcag atccttggcg gcaagaaagc catccagttt 3414 actttgcagg gcttcccaac cttaccagag ggcgccccag ctggcaattc c 3465 <210> SEQ ID NO 10 <211> LENGTH: 401 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS2bioS1 <400> SEQUENCE: 10 Met Asn Val Phe Asn Pro Ala Gln Phe Arg Ala Gln Phe Pro Ala Leu 1 5 10 15 Gln Asp Ala Gly Val Tyr Leu Asp Ser Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Lys Pro 20 25 30 Glu Ala Val Val Glu Ala Thr Gln Gln Phe Tyr Ser Leu Ser Ala Gly 35 40 45 Asn Val His Arg Ser Gln Phe Ala Glu Ala Gln Arg Leu Thr Ala Arg 50 55 60 Tyr Glu Ala Ala Arg Glu Lys Val Ala Gln Leu Leu Asn Ala Pro Asp 65 70 75 80 Asp Lys Thr Ile Val Trp Thr Arg Gly Thr Thr Glu Ser Ile Asn Met 85 90 95 Val Ala Gln Cys Tyr Ala Arg Pro Arg Leu Gln Pro Gly Asp Glu Ile 100 105 110 Ile Val Ser Val Ala Glu His His Ala Asn Leu Val Pro Trp Leu Met 115 120 125 Val Ala Gln Gln Thr Gly Ala Lys Val Val Lys Leu Pro Leu Asn Ala 130 135 140 Gln Arg Leu Pro Asp Val Asp Leu Leu Pro Glu Leu Ile Thr Pro Arg 145 150 155 160 Ser Arg Ile Leu Ala Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Cys 165 170 175 Pro Asp Leu Ala Arg Ala Ile Thr Phe Ala His Ser Ala Gly Met Val 180 185 190 Val Met Val Asp Gly Ala Gln Gly Ala Val His Phe Pro Ala Asp Val 195 200 205 Gln Gln Leu Asp Ile Asp Phe Tyr Ala Phe Ser Gly His Lys Leu Tyr 210 215 220 Gly Pro Thr Gly Ile Gly Val Leu Tyr Gly Lys Ser Glu Leu Leu Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Met Ser Pro Trp Leu Gly Gly Gly Lys Met Val His Glu Val Ser 245 250 255 Phe Asp Gly Phe Thr Thr Gln Ser Ala Pro Trp Lys Leu Glu Ala Gly 260 265 270 Thr Pro Asn Val Ala Gly Val Ile Gly Leu Ser Ala Ala Leu Glu Trp 275 280 285 Leu Ala Asp Tyr Asp Ile Asn Gln Ala Glu Ser Trp Ser Arg Ser Leu 290 295 300 Ala Thr Leu Ala Glu Asp Ala Leu Ala Lys Arg Pro Gly Phe Arg Ser 305 310 315 320 Phe Arg Cys Gln Asp Ser Ser Leu Leu Ala Phe Asp Phe Ala Gly Val 325 330 335 His His Ser Asp Met Val Thr Leu Leu Ala Glu Tyr Gly Ile Ala Leu 340 345 350 Arg Ala Gly Gln His Cys Ala Gln Pro Leu Leu Ala Glu Leu Gly Val 355 360 365 Thr Gly Thr Leu Arg Ala Ser Phe Ala Pro Tyr Asn Thr Lys Ser Asp 370 375 380 Val Asp Ala Leu Val Asn Ala Val Asp Arg Ala Leu Glu Leu Leu Val 385 390 395 400 Asp <210> SEQ ID NO 11 <211> LENGTH: 3481 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS2bioS2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: CDS <222> LOCATION: 279...1493 <400> SEQUENCE: 11 gacgtctaag aaaccattat tatcatgaca ttaacctata aaaataggcg tatcacgagg 60 ccctttcgtc ttcacctcga gtccctatca gtgatagaga ttgacatccc tatcagtgat 120 agagatactg agcacatcag caggacgcac tgaccgaatt cattaaagag gagaaaggta 180 ccgggccccc cctcgaggtc gacggtatcg ataagcttga tatcgaattc ctgcagcccg 240 ggggatccca tggtacgcgt aaagaggaga aattaact atg aaa tta ccg att 293 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile 1 5 tat ctc gac tac tcc gca acc acg ccg gtg gac ccg cgt gtt gcc gag 341 Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Pro Val Asp Pro Arg Val Ala Glu 10 15 20 aaa atg atg cag ttt atg acg atg gac gga acc ttt ggt aac ccg gcc 389 Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met Thr Met Asp Gly Thr Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala 25 30 35 tcc cgt tct cac cgt ttc ggc tgg cag gct gaa gaa gcg gta gat atc 437 Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe Gly Trp Gln Ala Glu Glu Ala Val Asp Ile 40 45 50 gcc cgt aat cag att gcc gat ctg gtc ggc gct gat ccg cgt gaa atc 485 Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala Asp Leu Val Gly Ala Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile 55 60 65 gtc ttt acc tct ggt gca acc gaa tct gac aac ctg gcg atc aaa ggt 533 Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Thr Glu Ser Asp Asn Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly 70 75 80 85 gca gcc aac ttt tat cag aaa aaa ggc aag cac atc atc acc agc aaa 581 Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln Lys Lys Gly Lys His Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys 90 95 100 acc gaa cac aaa gcg gta ctg gat acc tgc cgt cag ctg gag cgc gaa 629 Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val Leu Asp Thr Cys Arg Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu 105 110 115 ggt ttt gaa gtc acc tac ctg gca ccg cag cgt aac ggc att atc gac 677 Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr Leu Ala Pro Gln Arg Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp 120 125 130 ctg aaa gaa ctt gaa gca gcg atg cgt gac gac acc atc ctc gtg tcc 725 Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Met Arg Asp Asp Thr Ile Leu Val Ser 135 140 145 atc atg cac gta aat aac gaa atc ggc gtg gtg cag gat atc gcg gct 773 Ile Met His Val Asn Asn Glu Ile Gly Val Val Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala 150 155 160 165 atc ggc gaa atg tgc cgt gct cgt ggc att atc tat cac gtt gat gca 821 Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Ile Ile Tyr His Val Asp Ala 170 175 180 acc cag agc gtg ggt aaa ctg cct atc gac ctg agc cag ttg aaa gtt 869 Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys Leu Pro Ile Asp Leu Ser Gln Leu Lys Val 185 190 195 gac ctg atg tct ttc tcc ggt cac aaa atc tat ggc ccg aaa ggt atc 917 Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser Gly His Lys Ile Tyr Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile 200 205 210 ggt gcg ctg tat gta cgt cgt aaa ccg cgc gta cgc atc gaa gcg caa 965 Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg Arg Lys Pro Arg Val Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln 215 220 225 atg cac ggc ggc ggt cac gag cgc ggt atg cgt tcc ggc act ctg cct 1013 Met His Gly Gly Gly His Glu Arg Gly Met Arg Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro 230 235 240 245 gtt cac cag atc gtc gga atg ggc gag gcc tat cgc atc gca aaa gaa 1061 Val His Gln Ile Val Gly Met Gly Glu Ala Tyr Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu 250 255 260 gag atg gcg acc gag atg gaa cgt ctg cgc ggc ctg cgt aac cgt ctg 1109 Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met Glu Arg Leu Arg Gly Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu 265 270 275 tgg aac ggc atc aaa gat atc gaa gaa gtt tac ctg aac ggt gac ctg 1157 Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu Val Tyr Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu 280 285 290 gaa cac ggt gcg ccg aac att ctc aac gtc agc ttc aac tac gtt gaa 1205 Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn Ile Leu Asn Val Ser Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu 295 300 305 ggt gag tcg ctg att atg gcg ctg aaa gac ctc gca gtt tct tca ggt 1253 Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met Ala Leu Lys Asp Leu Ala Val Ser Ser Gly 310 315 320 325 tcc gcc tgt acg tca gca agc ctc gaa ccg tcc tac gtg ctg cgc gcg 1301 Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Glu Pro Ser Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala 330 335 340 ctg ggg ctg aac gac gag ctg gca cat agc tct atc cgt ttc tct tta 1349 Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu Leu Ala His Ser Ser Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu 345 350 355 ggt cgt ttt act act gaa gaa gag atc gac tac acc atc gag tta gtt 1397 Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu Glu Glu Ile Asp Tyr Thr Ile Glu Leu Val 360 365 370 cgt aaa tcc atc ggt cgt ctg cgt gac ctt tct ccg ctg tgg gaa atg 1445 Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg Leu Arg Asp Leu Ser Pro Leu Trp Glu Met 375 380 385 tac aag cag ggc gtg gat ctg aac agc atc gaa tgg gct cat cat 1500 taaacgcgtg Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp Leu Asn Ser Ile Glu Trp Ala His His 390 395 400 ctagaggcat caaataaaac gaaaggctca gtcgaaagac tgggcctttc gttttatctg 1560 ttgtttgtcg gtgaacgctc tcctgagtag gacaaatccg ccgccctaga cctaggggat 1620 atattccgct tcctcgctca ctgactcgct acgctcggtc gttcgactgc ggcgagcgga 1680 aatggcttac gaacggggcg gagatttcct ggaagatgcc aggaagatac ttaacaggga 1740 agtgagaggg ccgcggcaaa gccgtttttc cataggctcc gcccccctga caagcatcac 1800 gaaatctgac gctcaaatca gtggtggcga aacccgacag gactataaag ataccaggcg 1860 tttccccctg gcggctccct cgtgcgctct cctgttcctg cctttcggtt taccggtgtc 1920 attccgctgt tatggccgcg tttgtctcat tccacgcctg acactcagtt ccgggtaggc 1980 agttcgctcc aagctggact gtatgcacga accccccgtt cagtccgacc gctgcgcctt 2040 atccggtaac tatcgtcttg agtccaaccc ggaaagacat gcaaaagcac cactggcagc 2100 agccactggt aattgattta gaggagttag tcttgaagtc atgcgccggt taaggctaaa 2160 ctgaaaggac aagttttggt gactgcgctc ctccaagcca gttacctcgg ttcaaagagt 2220 tggtagctca gagaaccttc gaaaaaccgc cctgcaaggc ggttttttcg ttttcagagc 2280 aagagattac gcgcagacca aaacgatctc aagaagatca tcttattaat cagataaaat 2340 atttctagat ttcagtgcaa tttatctctt caaatgtagc acctgaagtc agccccatac 2400 gatataagtt gttactagtg cttggattct caccaataaa aaacgcccgg cggcaaccga 2460 gcgttctgaa caaatccaga tggagttctg aggtcattac tggatctatc aacaggagtc 2520 caagcgagct ctcgaacccc agagtcccgc tcagaagaac tcgtcaagaa ggcgatagaa 2580 ggcgatgcgc tgcgaatcgg gagcggcgat accgtaaagc acgaggaagc ggtcagccca 2640 ttcgccgcca agctcttcag caatatcacg ggtagccaac gctatgtcct gatagcggtc 2700 cgccacaccc agccggccac agtcgatgaa tccagaaaag cggccatttt ccaccatgat 2760 attcggcaag caggcatcgc catgggtcac gacgagatcc tcgccgtcgg gcatgcgcgc 2820 cttgagcctg gcgaacagtt cggctggcgc gagcccctga tgctcttcgt ccagatcatc 2880 ctgatcgaca agaccggctt ccatccgagt acgtgctcgc tcgatgcgat gtttcgcttg 2940 gtggtcgaat gggcaggtag ccggatcaag cgtatgcagc cgccgcattg catcagccat 3000 gatggatact ttctcggcag gagcaaggtg agatgacagg agatcctgcc ccggcacttc 3060 gcccaatagc agccagtccc ttcccgcttc agtgacaacg tcgagcacag ctgcgcaagg 3120 aacgcccgtc gtggccagcc acgatagccg cgctgcctcg tcctgcagtt cattcagggc 3180 accggacagg tcggtcttga caaaaagaac cgggcgcccc tgcgctgaca gccggaacac 3240 ggcggcatca gagcagccga ttgtctgttg tgcccagtca tagccgaata gcctctccac 3300 ccaagcggcc ggagaacctg cgtgcaatcc atcttgttca atcatgcgaa acgatcctca 3360 tcctgtctct tgatcagatc ttgatcccct gcgccatcag atccttggcg gcaagaaagc 3420 catccagttt actttgcagg gcttcccaac cttaccagag ggcgccccag ctggcaattc 3480 c 3481 <210> SEQ ID NO 12 <211> LENGTH: 404 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: clone pHS2bioS2 <400> SEQUENCE: 12 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr Thr Pro Val Asp 1 5 10 15 Pro Arg Val Ala Glu Lys Met Met Gln Phe Met Thr Met Asp Gly Thr 20 25 30 Phe Gly Asn Pro Ala Ser Arg Ser His Arg Phe Gly Trp Gln Ala Glu 35 40 45 Glu Ala Val Asp Ile Ala Arg Asn Gln Ile Ala Asp Leu Val Gly Ala 50 55 60 Asp Pro Arg Glu Ile Val Phe Thr Ser Gly Ala Thr Glu Ser Asp Asn 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ile Lys Gly Ala Ala Asn Phe Tyr Gln Lys Lys Gly Lys His 85 90 95 Ile Ile Thr Ser Lys Thr Glu His Lys Ala Val Leu Asp Thr Cys Arg 100 105 110 Gln Leu Glu Arg Glu Gly Phe Glu Val Thr Tyr Leu Ala Pro Gln Arg 115 120 125 Asn Gly Ile Ile Asp Leu Lys Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Met Arg Asp Asp 130 135 140 Thr Ile Leu Val Ser Ile Met His Val Asn Asn Glu Ile Gly Val Val 145 150 155 160 Gln Asp Ile Ala Ala Ile Gly Glu Met Cys Arg Ala Arg Gly Ile Ile 165 170 175 Tyr His Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ser Val Gly Lys Leu Pro Ile Asp Leu 180 185 190 Ser Gln Leu Lys Val Asp Leu Met Ser Phe Ser Gly His Lys Ile Tyr 195 200 205 Gly Pro Lys Gly Ile Gly Ala Leu Tyr Val Arg Arg Lys Pro Arg Val 210 215 220 Arg Ile Glu Ala Gln Met His Gly Gly Gly His Glu Arg Gly Met Arg 225 230 235 240 Ser Gly Thr Leu Pro Val His Gln Ile Val Gly Met Gly Glu Ala Tyr 245 250 255 Arg Ile Ala Lys Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Glu Met Glu Arg Leu Arg Gly 260 265 270 Leu Arg Asn Arg Leu Trp Asn Gly Ile Lys Asp Ile Glu Glu Val Tyr 275 280 285 Leu Asn Gly Asp Leu Glu His Gly Ala Pro Asn Ile Leu Asn Val Ser 290 295 300 Phe Asn Tyr Val Glu Gly Glu Ser Leu Ile Met Ala Leu Lys Asp Leu 305 310 315 320 Ala Val Ser Ser Gly Ser Ala Cys Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Glu Pro Ser 325 330 335 Tyr Val Leu Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Asn Asp Glu Leu Ala His Ser Ser 340 345 350 Ile Arg Phe Ser Leu Gly Arg Phe Thr Thr Glu Glu Glu Ile Asp Tyr 355 360 365 Thr Ile Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Ser Ile Gly Arg Leu Arg Asp Leu Ser 370 375 380 Pro Leu Trp Glu Met Tyr Lys Gln Gly Val Asp Leu Asn Ser Ile Glu 385 390 395 400 Trp Ala His His <210> SEQ ID NO 13 <211> LENGTH: 31 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide P15A,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...31 <400> SEQUENCE: 13 ggcccctagg ggatatattc cgcttcctcg c 31 <210> SEQ ID NO 14 <211> LENGTH: 31 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide P15A,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...31 <400> SEQUENCE: 14 ggccactagt aacaacttat atcgtatggg g 31 <210> SEQ ID NO 15 <211> LENGTH: 30 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide Kan-R,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...30 <400> SEQUENCE: 15 ggccgagctc tcgaacccca gagtcccgct 30 <210> SEQ ID NO 16 <211> LENGTH: 30 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide Kan-R,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...30 <400> SEQUENCE: 16 ggccgacgtc ggaattgcca gctggggcgc 30 <210> SEQ ID NO 17 <211> LENGTH: 30 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide T0,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...30 <400> SEQUENCE: 17 ggccgagctc gcttggactc ctgttgatag 30 <210> SEQ ID NO 18 <211> LENGTH: 39 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide T0,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...39 <400> SEQUENCE: 18 ggccactagt gcttggattc tcaccaataa aaaacgccc 39 <210> SEQ ID NO 19 <211> LENGTH: 31 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide T1,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...31 <400> SEQUENCE: 19 ggcccctagg tctagggcgg cggatttgtc c 31 <210> SEQ ID NO 20 <211> LENGTH: 32 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide T1,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...32 <400> SEQUENCE: 20 ggcctctaga ggcatcaaat aaaacgaaag gc 32 <210> SEQ ID NO 21 <211> LENGTH: 118 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PPHS1,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...118 <400> SEQUENCE: 21 tcgagatagc atttttatcc ataagattag ccgatcctaa ggtttacaat tgtgagcgct 60 cacaattatg atagattcaa ttgtgagcgg ataacaattt cacacacgct agcggtac 118 <210> SEQ ID NO 22 <211> LENGTH: 110 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PPHS1,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...110 <400> SEQUENCE: 22 cgctagcgtg tgtgaaattg ttatccgctc acaattgaat ctatcataat tgtgagcgct 60 cacaattgta aaccttagga tcggctaatc ttatggataa aaatgctatc 110 <210> SEQ ID NO 23 <211> LENGTH: 79 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PPHS2,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...79 <400> SEQUENCE: 23 aattctccct atcagtgata gagattgaca tccctatcag tgatagagat actgagacat 60 caccaggacg cactgaccg 79 <210> SEQ ID NO 24 <211> LENGTH: 80 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PPHS2,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...80 <400> SEQUENCE: 24 aattcggtca gtgcgtcctg gtgatgtctc agtatctcta tcactgatag ggatgtcaat 60 ctctatcact gatagggagg 80 <210> SEQ ID NO 25 <211> LENGTH: 78 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PMCS1,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...78 <400> SEQUENCE: 25 gtaccgggcc ccccctcgag gtcgacggta tcgataagct tgatatcgaa ttcctgcagc 60 ccgggggatc ccatggta 78 <210> SEQ ID NO 26 <211> LENGTH: 84 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PMCS1,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...84 <400> SEQUENCE: 26 acgcgtacca tgggatcccc cgggctgcag gaattcgata tcaagcttat cgataccgtc 60 gacctcgagg gggggcccgg tacc 84 <210> SEQ ID NO 27 <211> LENGTH: 27 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS1,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...27 <400> SEQUENCE: 27 cgcacgcgtg aggagtacca tgaacgt 27 <210> SEQ ID NO 28 <211> LENGTH: 26 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS1,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...26 <400> SEQUENCE: 28 cgcacgcgtt taatccacca ataatt 26 <210> SEQ ID NO 29 <211> LENGTH: 10 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: A. vinelandii <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 7..7 <223> OTHER INFORMATION: Xaa is unknown. Amino acid sequence is a typical N-terminal sequence of proteins of the NifS family. <400> SEQUENCE: 29 Met Ile Tyr Leu Asp Asn Xaa Ala Thr Thr 5 10 <210> SEQ ID NO 30 <211> LENGTH: 12 <212> TYPE: PRT <213> ORGANISM: E. coli <400> SEQUENCE: 30 Met Lys Leu Pro Ile Tyr Leu Asp Tyr Ser Ala Thr 5 10 <210> SEQ ID NO 31 <211> LENGTH: 35 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...35 <223> OTHER INFORMATION: n represents g, a, t or c <400> SEQUENCE: 31 atgaarytnc cnathtayyt ngaytaywsn gcnac 35 <210> SEQ ID NO 32 <211> LENGTH: 29 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...29 <400> SEQUENCE: 32 cccaghggrc crtgcagytt rtgrccrga 29 <210> SEQ ID NO 33 <211> LENGTH: 30 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,3 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...30 <400> SEQUENCE: 33 gcgtgggtaa actgcctatc gacctgagcc 30 <210> SEQ ID NO 34 <211> LENGTH: 29 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,4 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...29 <400> SEQUENCE: 34 ctacgcttcc ttcagcctgc cagccgaaa 29 <210> SEQ ID NO 35 <211> LENGTH: 50 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,5 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...50 <400> SEQUENCE: 35 catgacgcgt aaagaggaga aattaactat gaaattaccg atttatttgg 50 <210> SEQ ID NO 36 <211> LENGTH: 27 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide PbioS2,6 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...27 <400> SEQUENCE: 36 gcgacgcgtg attaatgatg agcccat 27 <210> SEQ ID NO 37 <211> LENGTH: 33 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide Pbio1,1 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...33 <400> SEQUENCE: 37 aataaggaat tcttatgtac tttccggttg ccg 33 <210> SEQ ID NO 38 <211> LENGTH: 23 <212> TYPE: DNA <213> ORGANISM: Oligonucleotide Pbio1,2 <220> FEATURE: <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature <222> LOCATION: 1...23 <400> SEQUENCE: 38 aacagcagcc tgcagctgga tta 23 

We claim:
 1. A process for preparing biotin, which comprises expressing a biotin synthase gene selected from the group consisting of sequences SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 3 in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host organism able to synthesize dethiobiotin.
 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the expression of the biotin synthase gene as set forth in claim 1 leads to an increased conversion of dethiobiotin into biotin.
 3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the host organism used is an organism selected from the group of genera Escherichia, Citrobacter, Serratia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Comamonas, Acinetobacter, Azotobacter, Chromobacterium, Bacillus, Clostridium, Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Streptomyces, Rhizobium, Agrobacterium, Staphylococcus, Rhodotorula, Sporobolomyces, Yarrowia, Schizosaccharomyces or Saccharomyces.
 4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said host organism has no or only very diminished natural regulation of biotin synthesis such that said organism has a considerably higher than natural biotin productivity.
 5. A gene construct comprising a biotin synthase gene selected from the group of sequences consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:3, which is functionally linked to sequences selected from the group consisting of one or more heterologous regulatory sequences and a genetically modified natural regulatory sequence, where the natural regulation by biotin has been switched off.
 6. A gene construct as claimed in claim 5, which has been inserted in a vector which is suitable for the expression of the gene in a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host organism.
 7. An organism selected from the group consisting of bacteria, fungi, yeasts and plants comprising a gene construct as claimed in claim
 5. 